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HISTORY 


WALLINGFORD  DISASTER 


JOHN    B.   KENDRICK. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


HARTFORD,  CONN.: 

The  Case,  Lockwood  &  Brainard  Co.,  Printers. 

1878. 


Copyrighted. 
JOHN  B.  KENDRICK. 

1878. 


IDARSTAOC 


PREFACE. 


My  thanks  are  due  to  all  who  have  so  kindly  aided  me  in 
the  preparation  of  this  book  —  and  their  name  is  legion. 

I  am  especially  indebted  to  Samuel  Simpson  for  his 
interest  and  assistance. 

The  daily  papers  have  been  freely  used. 

The  use  of  Mr.  and  Esq.  has  been  avoided. 

The  net  proceeds  will  be  devoted  to  charitable  purposes. 

Many  men  and  women  of  our  day  think  and  act  as  if  the 
days  of  chivalry  were  past.  It  is  a  great  mistake.  The 
world  is  daily  growing  wiser  and  better,  an^  with  all  the 
sadness  and  pain  of  this  disaster,  there  have  been  many, 
very  many,  grand  and  noble  deeds  of  self-denial  and  mercy 
which  assure  one  that  this  is  not  a  very  bad  world  after  all. 

J.  B.  K. 
Wallixgford,  September  i8,  1878. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER    I. 

BEFORE    AND    AFTER   THE  CYCLONE,        -  -  -7 

CHAPTER   n. 

THE   DEAD    AND    DYING,  -  -  -  -  -  -     16 

CHAPTER   HI. 

TIMELY   AID, 21 

CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   DESTRUCTION   ON   THE  "PLAINS,"  -  -  -  -    25 

chaptp:r  v. 

THE   DESTRUCTION   ON   THE  "HILL,"        -  -  -  -    30 

CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   DEAD-HOUSE, 36 

CHAPTER  Vn. 

THE   CEMETERY, 40 

CHAPTER  Vni. 

VISITORS, -    44 


CONTENTS.  O 

CHAPTER   IX. 

POLICE,   LIQUOR,     ----•-.  ^o 

CHAPTER  X. 

COMMITTEES   AND   CONTRIBUTIONS,  -  .  56 

CHAPTER   XL 

RELICS,  INCIDENTS, -     65 

CHAPTER  Xn. 

DESCRIPTION   AND  THEORY   OF  THE   STORM,  -  -    70 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


I. -THE  GRADED  SCHOOL-BUILDING,  Frontispiece. 

IL— ON  THE  "PLAINS," 9 

III.— ON  THE  "HILL,"— J.  MUNSON'S  AND  W.  M. 

HALL'S, 23 

IV. — "  THE  ELM  "  (more  than  twenty  feet  in  circumference),  33 

v.— CATHOLIC  CHURCH,                 -            -            -            -  41 

VI.— SAMUEL  PARMELEE'S  HOUSE,        -            -            -  51 

VII.- JOHN  SIMMONS'S  HOUSE,      -            -            .            .  67 

VIII. -JOHN    GINTY'S  HOUSE,            -            -            -            -  71 


Messrs.  E.  Valentine  and  N.  R.  Worden  furnished  the  photographs  for  the  illustrations. 


HISTORY 

OE  THE 

WALLINGFORD   DISASTER. 


CHAPTER     I 


FRIDAY,  AUGUST  9,  1878— BEFORE  THE  CYCLONE— AFTER 
THE  CYCLONE— FIRST  VIEWS  AND  FIRST  THOUGHTS 
—THE     DEAD     AND     DYING— LIST    OF    THE     DEAD. 

HISTORY. 

ON  the  afternoon  of  Friday,  August  9,  1878,  we  were  an 
active  and  a  prosperous  people. 

Busy  factories,  thrifty  farms,  and  happy  homes  were  glad 
proofs  and  witnesses  of  the  growth  and  blessing  which  were 
ours. 

Surely  any  visitor  on  that  bright  day  would  in  his  heart 
have  said,  "  Here  is  a  place  beautiful  in  its  valleys  and  hills, 
and  blessed  in  its  contented  and  joyous  families."  No  words 
could  have  been  more  true. 

But  Friday  evening  saw  a  far  different  sight,  for  we  were 
soon  to  feel  the  breath  of  the  Death  Angel. 

Toward  the  close  of  this  beautiful  day  the  wind  began  to 
rise  rapidly,  blowing  chiefly  from  the  west  and  southwest ; 
frequent  flashes  of  lightning  were  quickly  succeeded  by  heavy 
thunder.  About  6. 1 5  p.  m.  the  black  clouds,  hastening  from 
the  southwest  and  from  the  northwest,  met  above  the  Com- 
munity lake,  and  poising  themselves  for  a  moment  or  more — 
as  if  gathering  force  and  will  for  their  death-work — swept 
eastward  over  us  with  desolating  fury.  The  time  from  the 
formation  of  the  cyclone  until  its  destructive  work  in  the 


8  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLTNGFORD    DISASTER. 

village  was  completed,  did  not  exceed  one  and  a  half  minutes  ; 
indeed,  Samuel  Hopson,  living  four  miles  east  of  the  churches, 
thinks  that  the  damage  in  his  vicinity  was  done  at  about  a 
quarter  past  six.  From  his  testimony,  and  from  the  state- 
ments of  others,  it  is  clear  that  the  velocity  of  the  storm  was 
very  great. 

The  tornado  was  at  once  followed  by  torrents  of  water, 
which  continued  to  fall  for  ten  or  twelve  minutes.  The 
water  came  down  in  sheets,  rather  than  in  drops,  like  an 
ordinary  shower.  When  the  fury  of  the  rain  had  somewhat 
subsided,  the  ringing  of  the  bell  was  heard,  and  the  greater 
part  of  the  village  residents,  who  had  no  idea  of  what  work 
the  storm  demon  had  wrought,  thought  only  of  fire  ;  but  as 
they  hurriedly  hastened  northward,  they  were  astonished 
witnesses  of  the  scene. 

J.  H.  Frost  was  going  home  from  his  work  in  the  shop, 
and  was  just  south  of  the  residence  of  Samuel  Simpson,  when 
the  cyclone  formed  and  swept  eastward  ;  he  saw  the  hideous 
storm  darting  forward  directly  toward  himself,  as  if  to  sweep 
him  to  destruction.  He  moved  now  here,  now  there  ;  now 
he  rushed  forward,  and  then  fled  back  ;  now  he  moved  in 
terror,  then  crouched  in  fear,  raising  his  hands  as  if  to  avert 
the  coming  ruin. 

Samuel  Simpson,  sitting  by  his  window,  saw  these  strange 
movements, and  was  astonished ;  and,  not  knowing  their  cause, 
was  even  amused.  Some  minutes  afterward  his  family,  fright- 
ened by  a  chimney  crashing  down  through  the  house,  rushed 
to  him  in  terror ;  freeing  himself  from  them,  he  looked  north- 
ward from  his  window  and  saw  some  of  the  results  of  the 
cyclone,  but  could  not  believe  that  he  saw  correctly. 

Many  persons  had  sought  refuge  in  stores,  and  some  were 
thus  saved  who  would  probably  have  been  killed  had  they 
been  at  home. 

Wooster  Ives  was  among  the  first  in  his  section  to  discover 
that  serious  harm  had  been  done.  E.  M.  Judd,  believing  that 
injury  had  been  done  in  the  northern  part  of  the  village,  was 
soon  in  his  wagon  ;  as  he  drove  on  he  met  Dr.  B.  F.  Harrison, 
just  going  into  his  office,  and,  taking  him  in,  hurried  north- 
ward. 


lil;:illli!II!1 


BEFORE  AND  AFTER  THE  CYCLONE.  9 

Fallen  trees  blocked  the  road  in  many  places,  and  getting 
on  as  best  they  could,  here  and  there  using  the  sidewalk  as  a 
road,  they  drove  first  to  the  Hill  and  then  to  the  Plains,  for 
here  was  the  greater  need. 

Our  townspeople  were  soon  hurrying  northward.  We 
saw  only  the  lower  half  of  our  sightly  brick  school-house 
on  the  hill — the  upper  half  was  gone.  A  mass  of  ruins 
marked  the  site  of  the  Catholic  church.  High  street  was  a 
street  of  ruins;  one  house  remained,  but  that  was  moved 
from  its  foundations  and  shattered. 

In  Wallace's  row,  eleven  homes  were  utterly  destroyed — 
one  house  remained  to  show  where  the  street  was.  In 
Colony  street  only  the  cellars  showed  where  the  homes  had 
been.  In  almost  every  instance  the  buildings  had  been 
swept  from  their  foundations,  and  dashed  into  numberless 
fragments. 

Such  was  the  first  meager  glance — what  would  daylight 
reveal .'' 

We  soon  knew  that  on  upper  Main  street  many  fine  resi- 
dences had  severely  suffered,  and  that  upper  Elm  street  had 
keenly  felt  the  tornado ;  but  none  knew,  or  conjectured  even, 
how  great  was  the  loss  of  life,  or  damage  to  person  and 
property,  or  how  far  eastward  the  storm  had 'gone.  Many 
felt  strangely  bewildered,  and  thought  themselves  dazed  when, 
instead  of  homes,  they  saw  utter  destruction  ;  and  instead  of 
dwellings,  a  plain  sown  with  torn  and  twisted  timber,  and  with 
debris  of  every  kind. 

Strong  men  wept. 

Strewn  here  and  there,  in  roads  and  gutters,  and  across 
the  Plain,  or  wedged  in  among  the  debris  of  the  wreck,  were 
the  lifeless  and  the  maimed,  helpless,  and,  in  some  cases, 
clothesless. 

'Twas  not  a  time  for  thoughts  of  property  destroyed  or 
houses  ruined.  We  thought  only  of  the  dead,  the  dying,  and 
the  wounded.  The  sickening  odor  of  burning  flesh,  and  of 
slaughtered  bodies  dripping  with  blood  and  gore,  spread  like 
a  cloud  of  vapor. 

In  the  darkening  gloom  of  approaching  night,  and  in  the 
2 


10  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLlNGFORD    DISASTER. 

deeper  gloom  of  disaster  and  death,  words  were  unsaid,  or 
fell  meaningless  and  unheeded. 

It  was  now  a  terrible  moment. 

The  people  who  had  been  rendered  homeless  were  either 
dead,  wounded,  or  terror-stricken. 

Many  thought  that  nothing  could  be  done  until  an  inquest 
had  been  held. 

E.  M.  Judd  at  once  began  the  work  of  straightening  the 
stiffening  bodies  which  he  found. 

The  neighbors  of  the  dead  were  ready  to  bring  bandages 
and  cloths  to  tie  the  limbs  together,  but  feared  to  directly 
assist  him  in  his  sickening  task. 

He  found  Mattie  Mooney  in  the  east  gutter  of  Colony 
street.  His  head  was  nearly  severed  from  the  body,  as  if 
torn  by  some  inhuman  force  forward  from  the  back  of  the 
neck,  toward  the  front.  He  was  walking  on  the  railroad 
track  at  the  time,  and  hence  must  have  been  hurled  this  dis- 
tance of  four  hundred  and  fifteen  feet,  as  afterward  measured. 

E.  M.  Judd  was  soon  preparing  for  removal  the  body  of 
Frederic  Littlewood.  He  lay  in  the  west  gutter  of  Colony 
street,  a  short  distance  south  of  the  ruined  Catholic  church. 
He  and  his  wife  were  returning  home,  and  seeing  that  the 
storm  would  soon  be  upon  them,  he  left  his  wife  at  Thomas 
Rynn's,  while  he  hastened  to  his  home  for  an  umbrella. 

He  never  reached  his  home,  nor  did  Mrs.  Littlewood  know 
of  the  destructive  work  till  word  came  to  her  that  her 
husband  was  killed  ;  then,  with  a  mother's  cry  of  agony,  she 
rushed  on  to  find  her  boy,  whom  she  had  left  sleeping  at 
home,  now  in  the  ruins,  mangled  and  bleeding,  and  soon  to 
die.  Frederic  Littlewood  was  probably  struck  by  a  flying 
timber.  His  head  was  crushed,  and  his  jaw,  besides  being 
broken,  protruded  through  the  skin  an  inch  or  more. 

In  and  near  the  road  lay  the  five  bodies  of  the  Mooney  fam- 
ily, not  far  from  the  site  of  their  home  ;  three  of  them  were 
close  together,  while  the  two  others  were  apart.  These  were 
all  mangled  and  disfigured.  The  mother  had,  a  little  while 
before,  finished  a  heavy  washing,  and  was  asleep  when  the 
blast  struck  her  dwelling. 


BEFORE  AND  AFTER  THE  CYCLONE.  II 

The  three  dead  members  of  the  Tracy  family  were  readily 
found — father,  mother,  and  infant  son.  The  child  was  injured 
about  the  side  and  shoulders.  The  father  and  mother  were 
somewhat  similarly  injured,  both  having  had  the  skull  broken 
in,  besides  several  mutilations  on  other  parts  of  the  body. 
After  the  limbs  had  been  straightened  and  tied,  the  bodies 
were  covered  with  quilts  or  clothing  of  some  kind,  while 
attention  was  given  to  others  of  the  dead. 

The  night  was  now  rapidly  closing  in  around  this  scene, 
but  faithful  men,  with  lanterns  sending  forth  a  sickly  glare, 
were  searching  still  amid  the  general  ruin  for  other  bodies. 

In  Wallace's  row  every  home  on  the  north  side  was  deso- 
lated, not  only  by  its  own  ruin,  but  by  the  violent  death  or 
fatal  injuries  of  one  or  more  of  its  inmates. 

Let  us  trace  this  street  eastward.  From  the  first  family, 
two  sons  are  gone  for  ever.  These  two  boys  of  Patrick 
O'Neil's  are  among  the  killed  ;  another  son  and  a  daughter 
saved  their  lives  by  crouching  close  to  the  cellar  wall. 

The  two  O'Neil  boys  were  carried  to  the  town  hall  by 
direction  of  Selectman  R.  B.  Wallace,  but  about  ii  o'clock 
the  same  night  were  brought  from  there  to  the  school-house. 

In  the  next  house  were  Mrs.  Mary  Downs  and  Mary  Healy 
(a  daughter  by  a  former  husband).  Both  mother  and  daughter 
suffered  fatal  injury  by  wounds  in  the  head  and  by  broken 
limbs.  Mrs.  Downs  was  killed  in  an  instant,  but  Selectman 
R.  B.  Wallace  found  Mary  Healy  sitting  up  in  a  chair.  He 
caused  her  to  be  placed  in  C.  N.  Jones's  wagon,  and  the 
intention  was  to  take  her  into  the  town  hall,  but  George  Hull, 
with  kindness  pecuhar  to  him,  insisted  upon  receiving  her 
into  his  own  home.  When  the  team  came  to  his  residence, 
she  attempted  to  get  out  without  assistance,  but  she  was  not 
permitted  so  to  do. 

Mrs.  Hull  prepared  for  her  a  bed  in  the  parlor,  and  the  girl 
seemed  to  be  eager  to  assist  herself,  and  gave  to  Mr.  Hull 
and  his  wife  the  impression  that  she  was  not  seriously  injured. 
After  making  her  as  comfortable  as  possible,  Mrs.  Hull 
stepped  for  a  moment  into  an'  adjoining  room,  and  upon 
returning  saw  at  a  glance  the  deathly  appearance  of  her  face, 


12  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

and  knew  that  life  had  left  her.  Besides  a  fracture  of  the 
skull,  there  were  probably  internal  injuries. 

Following  up  Wallace's  row,  we  find  the  Matthew  family, 
badly  hurt  from  bruises  and  burns.  One  little  boy  of  this 
family  was  scalded  and  terribly  bruised,  besides  having  both 
his  legs  broken  ;  he  died  on  Sunday,  and  was  taken  to  New- 
York  for  burial.  Robert  Taylor  is  worthy  of  mention  for  his 
kindness  to  this  family  in  their  hour  of  distress. 

In  the  next  house  lived  John  Payden.  When  found,  he 
was  alive,  and  was  taken  to  his  brother's  house,  but  survived 
only  an  hour. 

The  Coughlin  family  suffered  severe  injuries  ;  but  in  this 
family  only  one  life  was  sacrificed  to  the  storm  demon.  The 
violence  of  the  tornado  had  hurled  Katie  Coughlin  through 
a  window  of  the  upper  story.  Death  was  instantaneous.  She 
was  probably  struck  by  a  flying  timber,  for  the  upper  and 
back  portions  of  the  head  were  entirely  gone,  and  the  brain 
was  oozing  out. 

In  the  last  house  on  the  row  lived  the  Lynch  family.  No 
one  was  at  home  except  the  mother  and  one  child — a  girl  of 
nine  years.  From  what  the  little  girl  can  tell  we  glean  the 
following:  "Mother  was  sewing  at  the  sewing-machine,  and 
I  was  sitting  near  her,  when  all  of  a  sudden  we  heard  a  great 
noise,  and  then  mother  and  I  were  throwed  right  down  just 
before  the  stove  ;  and  then,  before  we  could  even  think,  some- 
thing, I  don't  know  what  it  was,  came  and  throwed  us  ever  so 
far."  Poor  little  girl !  even  as  I  write  your  words,  I  think 
your  little  life  is  ebbing  fast  away. 

Mrs.  Lynch  was  found  at  least  one  hundred  feet  from  the 
house.  She  was  taken  into  John  Redmond's  house,  but 
there  was  no  hope  of  recovery — she  soon  died  ! 

Joseph  Huldie's  loss  excites  peculiar  pity  and  heartfelt 
sympathy.  He  had  not  resided  here  many  months,  but  it 
was  soon  felt  that  his  was  an  interesting  family.  Two  chil- 
dren were  living  of  the  four  that  had  been  given  to  him.  Upon 
his  somewhat  early  return  from  his  work  in  the  glass-shop, 
while  holding  in  his  arms  his  little  baby,  he  heard  the  rushing 
of  what  seemed  to  him  like  a  driving  rain,  and  kissing  his 


BEFORE  AND  AFTER  THE  CYCLONE,  I 3 

children  and  leaving  the  infant  in  its  mother's  arms,  he  hast- 
ened upstairs  to  close  a  window.  Those  kisses  were  his  last 
good-bye ;  before  he  could  return  to  his  family,  they  were  in 
the  arms  of  death  !  Mrs.  Huldie,  who  is  described  as  a 
woman  of  singular  beauty,  was  instantly  killed  ;  but  even  in 
death  clasped  closely  to  her  breast  her  dead  infant. 

At  eventide,  a  pleasant  home,  a  beautiful  and  loving  family. 
Ere  sunset,  no  house,  no  home,  mother  and  children  mangled 
and  dead ! 

When  the  tornado  had  swept  by,  Thomas  G.  Daley's  house 
on  Christian  street  was  seen  to  be  utterly  destroyed,  and  the 
uninjured  neighbors  believed  that  the  entire  family  had  per- 
ished. But  the  family  had  heard  the  strange,  unearthly  noise 
preceding  the  whirlwind,  and  in  terror  had  rushed  from  the 
house.  The  infant  sleeping  in  its  cradle  was  found  still  there, 
having  passed  from  the  sleep  of  life  to  the  sleep  of  death  ! 

The  house  of  Mrs.  Michael  Toohey  was  situated  three 
hundred  feet  west  of  the  railroad.  It  was  blown  to  atoms, 
and,  while  her  son,  a  boy  of  twelve,  was  blown  into  a  tree 
and  there  caught  in  the  branches,  with  bruises  and  a  broken 
arm,  the  mother  was  hurled  into  Colony  street,  a  distance  of 
seven  hundred  and  ten  feet !  It  need  scarcely  be  said  that 
her  body  was  horribly  mutilated  and  mangled.  The  head 
was  connected  with  the  body  only  by  the  skin  ;  the  skull  was 
a  pulpy  mass  ;  the  ankle-bones  were  broken  ;  indeed,  E.  M. 
Judd  says  there  did  not  seem  to  be  an  unbroken  bone  in  her 
body  ;  and  others  agree  in  this  statement. 

John  Hayden  and  Thomas  Cassen  had  gone  after  the  cows, 
but  they  were  not  outside  the  range  of  the  storm.  Death 
was  their  fate.  Thomas  Cassen 's  death  was  due  to  internal 
injury,  as  there  were  no  marks  of  violence.  Mrs.  Maria 
Boyle,  mother  of  Thomas  Cassen,  must  have  been  killed  in 
an  instant. 

Johnnie  Littlewood  died  on  Monday.  About  half-past 
nine,  Friday  night,  we  found  Mrs.  Littlewood  and  her  boy 
on  a  mattress  in  Michael  Purcell's  house.  The  boy  was 
evidently  in  a  dying  condition  ;  the  back  of  his  head  was  a 
mass  of  broken  bone  and  flesh  and  brain  ;  and  the  blood  was 


14  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

flowing  from  his  ear  ;  doctors  could  give  no  aid.  Mrs.  Little- 
wood's  grief  was  too  deep  and  bitter  even  for  tears,  and  I 
think  that  I  never  saw  such  agony  upon  the  face  of  any 
mortal,  as,  in  answer  to  my  question,  she  said :  "  Fred  [her 
husband]  is  killed,  and  Johnnie  is  dying.  Oh,  couldn't  God 
spare  me  my  boy,  'tis  all  I  have  !  "  She  never  saw  her  dead 
husband,  but,  without  tasting  food,  remained  by  her  dying 
boy  until  he  died.  It  is  a  wonder  that  he  lived  those  three 
days,  but  'twas  a  living  death. 

Mrs.  John  Lee  was  taken  in  a  dying  condition  into  Thomas 
Rynn's  house.  She  lay  moaning,  while  at  her  side  her 
daughter  was  bitterly  crying  and  looking  with  imploring  eyes 
at  Dr.  Banks,  while  he  was  busy  with  other  cases  in  the 
same  room.  This  child's  appeal,  "  Doctor,  please  won't  you 
do  something  for  mother .'' "  came  from  a  heart  which  in  that 
hour  reverenced  the  goodness  and  implored  the  aid  of  the 
physician  almost  as  if  he  were  a  god.  But  in  vain.  Mrs. 
Lee's  injuries  were  internal,  and  she  died  at  three  o'clock 
Saturday  morning. 

Thomas  Ginty  lived  a  quarter  of  a  mile  north  of  the  path 
of  the  cyclone.  He  had  the  consumption,  and  died  of  that 
disease  on  the  night  of  the  disaster.  Some  think  that  the 
terror  and  horror  caused  by  the  news  of  the  destruction 
hastened  his  death ;  but  I  do  not  count  him  among  the 
victims.  The  baby  child  of  John  Mooney  died  in  New 
Haven  hospital  on  Thursday,  the  29th  of  August.  Its  body 
was  covered  with  bruises,  but  the  immediate  cause  of  death 
was  cholera  infantum.  When  its  little  body  was  laid  to  rest 
on  the  evening  of  the  day  of  its  death,  six  members  of  the 
Mooney  family  slept  in  this  country  graveyard  ! 

Maggie  Lynch  lived  on  in  pain  until  Saturday,  August  31st. 
Her  right  ear  was  nearly  severed  from  the  head,  and  a  deep 
gash  had  been  cut  in  the  right  cheek,  as  though  made  by  a 
flying  shingle.  Dr.  Goodyear  of  North  Haven,  was  the  first 
to  attend  to  her.  Her  right  leg  was  broken  in  several  places 
above  the  knee,  while  below  the  knee  there  was  a  severe 
burn,  more  than  eight  inches  long,  and  correspondingly  broad. 
The  ligaments  of  the  left  knee  were  severely  strained,  and 


BEFORE  AND  AFTER  THE  CYCLONE. 


15 


the  bottom  of  the  left  foot  had  two  fearful  and  deep  burns. 
She  was  injured  internally  also,  and  seemed  to  have  been 
hurt  in  the  back.  Drs.  Davis  and  Banks  spent  three  or  four 
hours  each  day  in  dressing  her  wounds.  Dr.  Jewett  also 
gave  attention  to  her.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  she  died  having 
such  injuries  ?  It  rather  seems  incredible  that  life  lingered 
so  many  days. 

LIST  OF  THE  DEAD. 


Frederic  Littlewood,  about  45  years. 

Johnnie  Littlewood,  10  years. 

Matthew  Mooney,  17  years. 

Mrs.  Margaret  Mooney,  52  years. 

Nellie  Mooney,  9  years. 

John  Mooney,  25  years. 

Mrs.  John  Mooney,  21  years. 

Matthew  Mooney,  5  months. 

Conrad  Tracy,  60  years. 

Mrs.  Conrad  Tracy,  40  years. 

Henry  Tracy,  10  years. 

Patrick  O'Neil,  8  years. 

John  O'Neil,  9  years. 

Mrs.  Mary  Downs,  50  years. 

Mary  Healy,  20  years. 


John  Matthews,  6  years. 

John  Payden,  45  years. 

Mrs.  Ellen  Lynch,  43  years. 

Katie  Coughlin,  14  years. 

Maggie  Lynch,  9  years. 

Mrs.  Joseph  Huldie,  35  years. 

Thomas  Huldie's  infant,  7  months. 

Nellie  Huldie,  5  years. 

John  Daley,  6  months. 

Mrs.  Michael  Toohey,  about  50 years. 

Johnnie  Hayden,  8  years. 

Thomas  Cassen,  17  years. 

Mrs.  Maria  Boyle,  44  years. 

Mrs.  John  Lee,  55  years. 


Making  a  total  of  twenty-nine  deaths  from  the  effects  of 
the  tornado! 


CHAPTER    II. 

FRIDAY,  AUGUST  9,  1878— THE  REMOVAL  OF  THE  DEAD— THE 
INJURED  BY  STORM  AND  FIRE-PHYSICIANS— NOBLE 
WORK  AND  NOBLE  WORKERS. 

WHITHER  shall  the  dead  be  taken  ?  Their  homes 
are  crushed  and  scattered  like  chaff ;  the  dwellings 
in  the  vicinity  are  now  hospitals  for  the  reception  of  the 
injured. 

E.  H.  Pratt,  after  consultation  with  E.  M.  Judd,  started  to 
open  the  brick  school- house  on  the  Plains,  but  while  on  his 
way  met  Patrick  Dignan,  the  principal  of  this  school,  who  at 
once  unlocked  the  building.  This  edifice  was  about  sixty 
rods  south  of  the  sweep  of  the  cyclone,  and  was  a  very  suit- 
able place  for  the  removal  of  the  dead.  Into  this  building 
the  killed  were  carried  as  rapidly  as  possible :  wagons,  drawn 
in  some  instances  by  hand,  and  containing  sometimes  two  or 
three  corpses,  conveyed  them  to  this  house  of  the  dead. 
None  but  the  dead  were  admitted  here. 

Frederic  Littlewood's  body  was  the  first  one  brought  in  ; 
and  at  10  o'clock  thirteen  bodies  were  in  this  morgue,  and 
the  work  of  bringing  in  continued  during  the  night.  These 
were  placed,  some  on  boards,  others  in  rude  boxes  ;  and, 
being  laid  across  the  desks,  were  covered  by  blankets  or 
cloths,  only  the  face  being  left  uncovered.  As  soon  as  ice 
could  be  obtained  they  were  all  ice-packed.  It  was  a  terrible 
sight,  and  brought  tears  to  many  eyes  unused  to  such  scenes. 
Men,  who  had  spent  years  in  the  army,  and  seen  death  in 
many  forms,  and  had  felt  his  breath  upon  their  own  cheeks, 
say  that  they  had  never  before  witnessed  so  heart-rending  a 
sight. 

Men,  almost  fiercely,  and  women,  frantically,  asked  where 
is  he  or  she  (naming  a  relative — perchance  a  father  or 
mother) ;  and  many  bitterly  wept  their  dead.     Words  seem 


THE    DEAD    AND    DYING.  1 7 

perfectly  without  meaning  when  telling  the  fearful  facts,  and 
no  one  can  ever  recount  the  horrors  of  that  night,  nor  can 
any  one  even  imagine  the  utter  woe  and  wretchedness  of 
those  bitter  hours.  Women  and  children  had  suffered  most 
severely.  The  men  were  mostly  at  their  work,  or  on  their 
way  home  at  the  moment  of  the  disaster;  some,  however, 
had  hurried  so  as  to  be  at  home  before  the  storm,  and  were 
among  its  victims.  As  the  whirling  storm  had  moved  on  in 
its  eastward  path,  besides  hurHng  the  houses  into  broken 
fragments  it  had  scattered  hither  and  thither  the  hot  stoves, 
and  sent  their  burning  contents  in  every  direction.  The 
wounded  living  were  fortunate  indeed  if  their  flesh  had  not 
felt  the  awful  agony  of  the  red-tongued  flame  or  of  the  hot 
iron  as  it  clung  to  the  quivering  body  or  was  pressed  upon 
the  flesh  by  broken  timbers.  The  heavy  rain,  following  the 
sweep  of  the  cyclone,  was  a  wondrous  blessing,  quenching 
the  flames  which  had  burst  forth,  and  thus  saving  some  from 
death  by  fire.  As  we  looked  upon  the  injured  writhing  in 
pain,  with  broken  limbs  and  bleeding  cuts  and  burns  or 
scalds — here  a  piece  of  flesh  torn  out,  and  there  a  scalp 
ragged  and  hanging — we  thought  of  the  long  years  of 
orphanage  for  some  of  them  ;  and  said  in  our  hearts,  Truly 
these  homeless,  helpless  ones,  bereft  of  all  that  is  dear  on 
earth,  are  in  far  sadder  plight  than  those  dead  ones  yonder. 

It  is  not  fitting  to  give  in  detail  the  wounds  of  each  injured 
person. 

The  list  of  wounded  is  as  follows  : 

Richard  Taylor,  about  30 years, back  broken;  cannot  survive. 

John  Condon,  50  years,  back  and  head  injured. 

Patrick  O'Neil,  about  50  years,  head  and  shoulder  injured. 

Mrs.  Patrick  O'Neil,  about  47  years,  badly  bruised. 

John  Coughlin,  10  years,  head  badly  bruised. 

John  Cline,  about  30  years,  wrist  broken. 

Mrs.  John  Cline,  about  30  years,  somewhat  bruised. 

Mrs.  Patrick  Coughlin,  50  years,  bruises,  and  a  deep  pos- 
terior flesh  wound. 

Mrs.  John  Condon,  42  years,  and  her  daughter,  1 1  years, 
the  former  bruises  and  cuts  ;  the  latter  dangerously  injured. 

3 


1 8  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

Mrs.  Michael  Caten,  33  years,  injured  internally. 

Matthew  Tracy,  9  years,  scalp  nearly  torn  off. 

Conrad  Tracy,  7  years,  bruised. 

Eloise  Tracy,  14  years,  bruised  and  cut  in  arm  ;  serious 
injury. 

Mary  Tracy,  15  years,  back  hurt  severely. 

John  Toohey,  12  years,  arm  broken. 

Henry  Saunders,  35  years,  severely  bruised  ;  son,  aged  2 
years,  badly  bruised  about  the  head  ;  wife,  badly  bruised. 

Patrick  Cline,  33  years,  badly  cut  about  the  head  and  body  ; 
wife,  30  years  old,  four  bad  cuts  in  head,  a  serious  case. 

John  Cline's  step-daughter,  6  years,  shoulder  out  of  joint. 

Mary  Ann  O'Rourke,  15  years,  badly  bruised  about  head 
and  feet. 

Mary  Matthews,  18  years,  left  arm  crushed  above  the  elbow. 

Winnie  Early,  12  years,  probably  injured  internally. 

Delia  Cassidy  and  Barney  Cassidy,  husband  and  wife, 
severely  bruised  and  cut,  but  will  recover. 

Mrs.  Daily,  bruised  severely  about  the  back  and  hips  ; 
baby  killed  on  her  arm. 

Andrew  Ennis,  6  years,  skull  laid  bare ;  will  recover. 

Miss  Sarah  Fields,  the  invalid  lady  who  was  buried  in  John 
Munson's  house  ;  not  materially  worse  from  the  shock. 

George  Joel,  about  35  years,  quite  seriously  bruised;  arm 
broken. 

Charles  Parmelee,  about  24  years,  bruised  about  head  and 
body. 

Henry  Jones,  33  years,  bruised. 

Charles  Logan,  60  years,  bruised. 

Katie  Mooney,  14  years,  head  hurt. 

James  HoU,  a  Frenchman,  badly  cut  about  shoulders,  and 
two  children  bruised. 

Some  others  were  injured,  but  not  so  seriously  as  those 
mentioned.  Besides  the  thirty-five  above  named,  many  were 
disfigured  by  cuts,  burns,  and  scalds. 

The  physicians  of  the  place — Drs.  Banks,  Harrison,  Davis, 
McGaughey,  and  Atwater — spared  themselves  not  in  the 
least,  but  applied  all  their  energy  and  skill  for  the  relief  and 
assistance  of  the  sufiferers. 


THE    DEAD    AND    DYING.  IQ 

Dr.  S.  D.  Gilbert,  from  Fair  Haven,  was  active  in  the  work 
of  relief. 

Johnnie  Hoey,  a  boy  of  12  years,  under  orders  from  E.  M. 
Jiidd,  rode  to  Meriden  for  doctors ;  he  rode  on  his  horse  and 
was  back  in  less  than  an  hour.  This  appeal  brought  to  us 
many  physicians  from  Meriden,  some  coming  on  the  8.37 
p.  M.  express,  which  stopped,  while  others  drove  down. 

Dr.  Goodyear  of  North  Haven,  was  soon  on  the  ground, 
rendering  needed  service,  and  physicians  from  other  localities 
were  soon  among  us.  The  work  of  the  physicians,  thus  early 
begun,  continued  and  still  continues.  No  words  can  tell  how 
much  we  owe  to  the  care  and  skill  and  tireless  zeal  of  our 
resident  doctors.  Surgeons  from  New  Haven  came  up  to 
give  the  benefit  of  their  advice  and  skill.  Let  us  ask  our- 
selves what  we  could  have  done  without  our  physicians,  and 
then  only  can  we  have  some  idea  of  our  indebtedness  to 
them. 

Drs.  P.  A.  Jewett,  C.  P.  Lindsley,  J.  P.  Henriqi^es,  and 
T,  B.  Jewett,  rendered  valuable  service  during  the  following 
week. 

The  homes  in  the  vicinity  were  houses  of  refuge,  for  that 
night,  at  least. 

"  Troubles  never  come  alone" — no,  never;  with  them  come 
sympathy  and  help.  It  is  a  glorious  and  loving  work  to 
record  the  names  and  services  of  those  who,  from  the  heart, 
seek  to  diminish  the  suffering,  and  to  ease  the  pain  of  others, 
whether  those  pains  be  of  mangled  body  or  of  bleeding  heart. 
We  can  record  but  few  of  the  many  instances  of  self-sacrifice- 
and  assistance  so  nobly  and  freely  rendered  during  those  dark 
hours.  I  rejoice  that  they  are  so  numerous,  but  not  one  is 
lost ;  they  are  all  written  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  received 
and  those  who  gave,  for 

"  Mercy  is  twice  blest ; 
It  blesseth  him  that  gives  and  him  that  takes  ; " 

and  they  are  all  treasured  up  in  the  great  heart  of  the  living 
God. 

E.  M.  Judd  was  one  of  the  first  upon  the  scene,  and  his 


20  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

systematic  and  executive  work,  especially  in  caring  for  the 
dead,  was  simply  invaluable. 

I  will  mention  some  who  were  active  and  useful :  George 
P.  Tyler,  George  E.  Bullock,  J.  W.  Lane,  Oscar  Lane,  Hiram 
Seeley,  Edward  Johnson,  E.  H.  Pratt,  B.  T.  Jones,  George 
Hall,  Edward  Allen,  Silas  Stow,  Seth  Whitney,  Hezekiah 
Hall,  Edward  Carroll  ;  and  so  the  list  runs  through  a  host  of 
names.  William  Myers  gave  assistance  with  his  team.  B.  D. 
Sutlief  knew  no  rest  for  many  days.  I  pass  over  many,  very 
many  names  worthy  of  honor.  John  Redmond  was  among 
the  foremost  in  the  work  of  caring  for  the  injured  ;  into  his 
house  Mrs  Lynch  was  carried,  and  here  she  died.  Here  also 
was  received  Richard  Taylor,  so  badly  hurt  in  the  back. 
Others  also  were  brought  in  here. 

What  a  scene  was  that  in  Thomas  Rynn's  house  !  Into 
his  parlor  the  wounded  had  been  brought  ;  here,  upon  a  mat- 
tress, lay  the  dying  Mrs.  Lee  ;  here,  Dr.  Banks  was  putting 
the  seventeen  stitches  into  the  scalp  of  Marcus  Tracy,  a  little 
boy,  who  bravely  endured  the  pain.  Among  the  wounded 
here  were  Mrs.  Catherine  Kelly  and  Nellie  O'Neil.  Clothing 
and  cloth  for  bandages  were  freely  given  by  the  family. 
Amid  all  the  suffering  and  pain,  it  was  a  blessed  thing  for 
this  family  to  give  and  to  do  whatever  was  in  their  power. 
Many  souls  forgot  their  own  needs  in  supplying  the  needs  of 
others.  Though  cheeks  were  pale  and  hands  were  nerveless, 
all  this  was  forgotten  or  suppressed,  in  the  effort  to  relieve 
and  to  sssist. 

The  true  spirit  of  Christ  and  of  His  loving  teaching  breathed 
forth  in  the  acts  of  many  who  never  were  reckoned  among 
the  members  of  any  church,  and  we  all  felt  in  those  terrible 
hours  that  we  were  all  of  one  great  brotherhood. 

"  Not  wholly  lost,  O  feather,  is  this  evil  world  of  ours, 
Upward  through  its  blood  and  ashes  spring  afresh  the  Eden  flowers." 


CHAPTER     III. 

FRIDAY,  AUGUST  9,  1878— THE  COMMUNITY— THE  CLERGY— 
SAlHUEL  SIMPSON— RAILROAD  TRAINS— HEZEKIAH  HALL— 
AN  INCIDENT. 

THE  quiet  and  noble  action  of  the  Wallingford  Com- 
munity must  not  escape  notice.  The  Community, 
seeing  that  a  storm  was  coming,  had  sent  home  the  girls 
employed  by  them  in  their  spoon  factory,  in  order  that  they 
might  get  home  in  time  to  avoid  the  rain  and  wind.  They 
were  sent  home  some  few  minutes  before  the  regular  time 
for  stopping  work,  which  was  at  six  o'clock.  This  was 
kindly  intended,  of  course,  but  no  human  wisdom  could  fore- 
see, or  in  any  way  foreknow,  the  distress  and  death  of  the 
evening. 

Just  after  the  disaster,  Mr.  Kingsley  drove  rapidly  to  the 
ruins  ;  naturally  enough  he  sought  first  for  the  girls  who,  less 
than  an  hour  before,  had  left  their  factory.  He  found  Mary 
Ann  O'Rourke  covered  as  if  dead.  Assisted  by  others,  he 
carried  her  into  Mrs.  Thomas  Kennedy's  house,  and  then 
hastened  back  for  some  of  the  ladies  of  the  Community. 
His  errand  was  soon  accomplished,  and  Misses  Nash,  Hatch, 
and  Worden  were  soon  amid  the  scene  of  suffering.  They 
brought  clothing,  bandages,  cloth,  etc.,  and  at  once  gave  atten- 
tion to  the  wounds  of  Miss  O'Rourke.  Her  injuries  were 
chiefly  about  the  head,  and  blood  was  flowing  from  her  ear; 
besides  this,  the  right  limb  was  terribly  lacerated.  Dr.  New- 
port of  Meriden,  dressed  the  wounds,  but  there  were  no  signs 
of  life  ;  although  every  means  of  recalling  lingering  life  were 
employed  by  the  ladies,  twelve  long  hours  slowly  passed  before 
consciousness  returned.  A.  A.  Sperry,  who  was  busy  all  night 
aiding  and  relieving,  says  that  had  she  remained  uncared  for 
ten  minutes  after  Mr.  Kingsley  first  saw  her,  she  would  have 
never  revived.     Beyond  all  question  she  owes  her  life  to  these 


22  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

devoted  men  and  women.  Rev.  J.  H.  Beale  says  that  he 
noticed  Miss  Nash  sitting  on  the  bed,  holding  in  her  lap  Miss 
O'Rourke's  bleeding  head,  and  bathing  it.  George  N.  Miller 
was  watching  by  her  bedside  on  Saturday  morning  at  two 
o'clock. 

The  Tracy  children  also  were  objects  of  their  care.  They 
took  three  of  them  to  homes  where  they  could  pass  the.diight, 
taking  one  of  them  home  with  themselves  ;  and  now,  during 
these  succeeding  days,  they  assist  in  supplying  their  wants, 
and  their  pay  in  the  shop  is  continued  just  the  same  as  if 
they  were  at  work. 

On  the  morrow  they  employed  men  to  search  the  ruins  for 
any  effects  belonging  to  the  Tracy  family,  which  were  not 
destroyed,  and  stored  them  in  a  safe  place.  Bedding,  com- 
fortables, and  other  needfuls,  were  carried  over  for  the  suffer- 
ers on  that  night,  and  on  Saturday  morning,  by  an  ingenious 
method  of  Mr.  Kingsley's,  Miss  O'Rourke  was  carried  to  her 
own  home,  and  on  Sunday  she  was  considered  comparatively 
out  of  danger.  The  ladies  knew  just  what  to  do,  and  acted 
to  the  full  extent  of  their  knowledge. 

Mr.  Woolworth  and  Mr.  Bristol  spared  no  labor  or  pains  to 
give  relief  and  aid. 

Other  names  and  other  deeds — some  known,  others  not 
known,  by  the  writer — are  worthy  of  honor.  With  the  true 
modesty  and  delicacy  which  accompany  all  self-sacrificing 
actions,  they  are  reluctant  to  speak  of  their  own  exertions  and 
generosity.  The  one  hundred  dollars  which  they  gave  to  the 
relief  fund  is  but  a  small  fraction  of  the  money  they  have 
spent,  and  are  spending,  for  the  homeless  and  suffering. 

The  deaths,  with  one  exception,  were  confined  to  the 
Catholics.  Rev.  H.  Mallon  (Catholic)  was  not  long  in  any 
one  place  ;  his  presence  was  felt  to  be  needed  in  every  place, 
and  in  those  hours  of  suffering  and  sorrow  he  was  here  and 
there,  uttering  words  of  hope  and  consolation.  Weary  and 
worn  and  sad,  he  never  faltered  or  hesitated  in  his  work. 
The  work  of  the  ministry  is  sometimes  a  glad  and  sometimes 
a  sorrowful  one,  but  could  any  task  be  more  sad  and  painful 
than  this  task  of  his,  when  his  people  seem  rent  in  twain — 


TIMELY    AID.  23 

churcH  wrecked,  homes  destroyed,  many  lives  lost,  and  many 
persons  injured?  How  must  these  things,  before  his  eyes, 
press  heavily  upon  his  mind  and  heart ! 

Rev.  J.  H.  Beale  (Methodist)  was  busy,  especially  in  remov- 
ing the  Tracy  children ;  so  busily  engaged  was  he  in  assist- 
ing, now  in  this  house,  now  in  that  lowly  dwelling,  that  he 
did  not  think  it  worth  while  to  learn  the  names  of  those 
whom  he  aided.  Mr.  Beale  did  a  good  work  when,  on  the 
next  day,  Saturday,  just  before  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
he  mounted  a  little  platform  at  the  passenger  depot,  and,  with 
outstretched  hat,  besought  aid  for  the  sufferers.  He  labored 
here  almost  continuously  for  the  rest  of  that  day,  preaching  as 
perhaps  he  never  preached  before.  As  visitors  gathered  at 
the  depot  ready  to  return  to  their  homes,  all  classes — the 
rich  and  the  poor,  the  refined  and  the  rough — silently  made 
their  way  toward  the  speaker,  and,  after  dropping  in  the  hat 
their  contributions,  went  away  happier  for  so  doing.  Just 
•before  the  departure  of  the  one  o'clock  train,  N.  D.  Sperry, 
postmaster  at  New  Haven,  and  Judge  H.  Lynde  Harrison,  in 
a  few  earnest  words,  commended  the  speaker  and  his  divine 
object.  Two  hundred  and  two  dollars  and  ninetv-six  cents 
were  raised  in  this  way. 

Rev.  J.  E  Wildman  (Episcopal)  gave  his  presence,  counsel, 
and  aid  during  Friday  evening;  on  Saturday  and  during 
many  succeeding  days  his  time  and  energy  were  spent  freely 
and  gladly  in  relieving  the  needs  of  the  needy. 

Rev.  W.  C.  Richmond  (Baptist)  was  not  in  town  at  the 
time  of  the  cyclone.  He  arrived  from  New  Haven  on  the 
evening  train.  During  Friday  evening,  and  all  day  Saturday, 
he  sought  in  every  way  to  relieve  and  to  comfort.  He  offered 
to  Rev.  H.  Mallon  the  use  of  the  Baptist  church  for  the 
funeral  services,  but  it  was  thought  best  to  have  the  funeral 
services  in  the  churchyard. 

Rev.  H.  M.  Tenney  (Congregational)  was  absent  from 
town  during  the  early  days  of  our  distress,  but  his  people 
were  not  lacking  in  sympathy  and  in  aid,  and  some  of  them 
were  the  heavy  losers. 

Samuel    Simpson  took   John   Munson  and    his   homeless 


24  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

family  to  his  own  home,  and  asked  Constable  R  S.  Austin, 
in  the  absence  of  Selectmen,  to  empower  several  persons  to 
guard  the  exposed  property  on  Main  street.  Mr.  Simpson 
said  that  he  would  be  responsible  for  this  assumpti*  n  of 
authority.  His  noble  gift  of  1^500  for  the  sufferers,  although 
he  himself  lost  $5,000  worth  of  property,  attests  his  deep 
sympathy. 

Trains  were  running  all  night,  and  the  8.37  p.  m.  express 
from  the  North  stopped  to  accommodate  passengers.  The 
duties  of  S.  N.  Edmonds,  ticket  agent,  kept  him  at  his  post 
until  3.30  Saturday  morning. 

Families  living  many  miles  to  the  east  of  us  were  startled 
at  seeing  the  air  loaded  with  shingles  and  boards,  furniture 
and  clothing. 

Hezekiah  Hall,  living  three  miles  east  of  the  village,  saw 
the  air  filled  with  all  kinds  of  fragments,  and  noticing  a  large 
black  something,  he  watched  it,  and  when  it  fell,  it  proved  to 
be  a  door,  blown  from  the  Plains.  ''Some  one  is  in  distress," 
said  he,  and  in  his  wagon  he  hastened  toward  town ;  the 
roads  were  blocked  by  fallen  trees,  and  his  road  that  night 
was  through  the  fields.  He  assisted  the  Jones  family  in 
their  distress,  and  then  drove  onward  to  be  of  service  to 
others.     His  work  thus  begun  lasted  through  many  days. 

All  through  the  night,  lights  were  burning  and  moving  to 
and  fro  in  many  a  home.  Many,  very  many,  never  left  their 
self-chosen  work  of  mercy  until  morning  brought  others  to 
their  relief.  Some  slept  with  troubled  dreams  and  frightful 
visions. 

I  give  one  incident  which,  like  a  divine  message  from  the 
loving  Christ,  seems  to  shed  peace  and  quiet  over  this  unquiet 
and  horrid  spectacle.  A  gentle  sparrow  was  caught  and 
borne  onward  by  the  whirling  gale,  and  when  the  tempest 
was  over,  the  bird  was  found  with  its  head  thrust  far  into  the 
grass  and  ground,  and  with  its  feathers  torn  and  wet.  As  it 
lay  fallen  and  dead,  how  blessed  seemed  the  words  of  the 
Master :  ''Are  not  two  sparrows  sold  for  a  farthing  ?  and  one 
of  them  shall  not  fall  to  the  ground  without  your  Father.  .  . 
Fear  ye  not  therefore  ;  ye  are  of  more  value  than  many 
sparrows." 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THE  MORNING  AFTER  THE  DISASTER— WORK  OF  THE  STORM 
ON  THE  "PLAINS"— INCIDENTS— WHAT  THEY  THOUGHT. 

SATURDAY  does  not  dawn  with  the  accustomed  bright- 
ness of  these  beautiful  summer  days ;  a  dull  mist 
obscures  the  sun,  but  the  haze  slowly  passes  away,  and  by 
9  o'clock  the  fog  has  disappeared.  Yet  the  day  is  far  from 
being  bright  and  pleasant,  and  the  afternoon  brings  with  it  a 
dismal  rain.  Nature  seems  to  regret  her  destructive  work  of 
the  previous  evening  as  she  fills  the  sky  with  dull  and  somber 
clouds,  and  sheds  them  upon  the  earth  in  gentle  tear-drops. 
No  factory  whistles  call  the  workmen  to  their  daily  tasks. 
Five  days  must  pass  before  the  whirl  of  wheel  and  hum  of 
machine  shall  tell  of  work  resumed. 

The  8.43  A.  M.  train  brings,  besides  its  crowded  load  of 
sight-seers,  the  New  Haven  and  New  York  papers,  contain- 
ing quite  full  and  accurate  accounts  of  what  their  reporters 
saw  and  learned  in  our  town  last  night. 

From  near  and  from  far,  by  rail  and  by  road,  these  crowds 
have  come  to  us,  and  still  are  coming.  The  high  and  the 
low,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  young  and  the  old,  how  differ- 
ent they  are !  yet  all  are  moved  by  a  common  sadness  and  a 
common  sympathy. 

Let  us  now  trace  carefully  the  work  of  destruction,  begin- 
ning at  the  western  limit  of  the  storm. 

The  Community  windmill,  about  twenty-five  rods  north  of 
their  dwelling,  was  the  first  object  to  suffer;  then,  moving 
on,  the  storm  felled  here  and  there  a  huge  tree,  crossed  the 
lake,  and  entirely  demolished  a  low  brick  factory  owned  by 
the  Community,  and  occupied  by  George  Crasser  as  a  brit- 
annia  shop.  Sweeping  down  some  trees  which  stood  near 
the  edge  of  the  lake,  it  now  came  to  the  broad  level  of  the 
Plains.  The  cyclone  was  now  moving  with  fearful  rapidity 
4 


26  HISTORY    OF    THE   WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

and  intense  power  close  to  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and 
whatever  lay  in  its  broad  path  was  swept  away  like  a  feather 
on  the  breeze. 

On  the  west  of  the  railroad  track,  only  two  houses  were  so 
situated  as  to  feel  the  full  effects  of  the  storm,  namely,  one 
house  owned  and  occupied  by  James  Holl,  the  other  owned 
by  Mrs.  Catherine  Hurley,  and  occupied  by  Michael  Toohey 
and  family ;  these  two  dwellings  were  hurled  from  their 
foundations  and  torn  into  thousands  of  pieces.  Several 
persons  were  in  James  Roll's  house,  but  no  one  was  even 
seriously  injured.  How  any  inmate  could  have  escaped 
death,  or  at  the  least  fatal  injury,  I  know  not.  When  I 
asked  how  they  escaped,  the  reply  came,  "  Nothing  but  God 
saved  them."  The  house  occupied  by  Michael  Toohey  was 
so  utterly  demolished  that  only  here  and  there  could  a  plank 
or  board  be  found,  A  house  some  distance  south  of  this  just 
felt  the  whirl  of  the  storm  ;  it  was  moved  from  its  foundations, 
but  was  not  injured  beyond  repair.  Here  lived  John  Lewis. 
Some  few  rods  west  of  this  house  were  the  barn  and  sheds 
belonging  to  Patrick  Cassin's  daughters.  These  buildings 
were  entirely  demolished. 

Let  us  cross  now  the  railroad  track. 

The  "  Plains  "  here  look  like  some  broad  meadow  where  a 
mighty  river  has  left  the  debris  from  some  great  freshet ;  or 
like  some  barren  coast  after  a  disastrous  storm,  where  broken 
ships  with  their  vast  and  varied  cargoes  lie  destroyed,  their 
crews  and  ofBcers  dead  on  the  beach  or  already  the  prey  of 
hungry  fishes.  This  churchyard  never  looked  so  desolate  as 
it  does  to-day.  The  monuments  and  headstones  lie  upon  the 
ground,  some  broken  and  others  shivered.  One  headstone 
was  noticed  still  standing,  but  with  its  upper  half  broken  off, 
while  its  sides  were  torn  and  shattered.  The  force  of  the 
storm  on  this  stone  was  not  forward  ;  the  direction  of  the 
force  was  not  in  a  straight  line  ;  if  so,  the  stone  must  have 
been  thrown  down.  The  peculiar  way  in  which  the  pieces 
were  torn  out  of  its  side  showed  that  the  force  of  the 
storm  had  acted  in  a  curve.  A  little  way  yonder  lie  the 
ruins  of  the  Catholic  church.     Just  south  of  the  church  is 


THE    DESTRUCTION    ON    THE    "PLAINS."  2/ 

Thomas  Rynn's  house,  occupied  by  William  Murry ;  this 
building  was  only  partially  destroyed,  and  Mr.  Murry  escaped 
with  only  a  few  bruises  ;  he  was  found  buried  up  to  his  neck 
in  the  sand.  North  of  the  Catholic  church  were  six  houses, 
occupied  by  (i)  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Boyle  and  her  son  ; 
(2)  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fred.  Littlewood  and  son  ;  (3)  Mrs.  John 
Lee  and  her  daughter  and  son-in-law,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pat. 
McGrath  ;  (4)  Mrs.  Mooney  and  children;  (5)  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  John  Mooney  and  children  ;  (6)  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Conrad 
Tracy  and  children. 

Here  the  destruction  was  almost  beyond  belief ;  out  of 
these  families,  fifteen  persons  were  either  instantly  killed  or 
received  fatal  injuries.  Scarcely  a  remnant  of  some  of  these 
dwellings  could  be  found.  James  Lee  says  that  he  owned 
three  of  them,  and  that  all  the  remains  he  could  find  of  one 
of  them  was  a  small  piece  of  a  door,  and  that  was  many  rods 
from  the  site  of  the  house. 

North  of  these  houses  was  the  large  dwelling  owned  by 
Mrs.  Ellen  Coffee  and  Michael  Hayden  ;  its  roof  was  almost 
entirely  destroyed,  and  it  suffered  other  injuries.  This  house 
is  very  old  ;  it  was  built  perhaps  a  hundred  and  fifty  years 
ago.  It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  its  heavy  and  tough 
oaken  timbers  withstood  the  shock.  The  reason  why  it 
escaped  total  destruction  was  because  the  cyclone,  as  it 
neared  the  house,  raised  itself  from  the  ground  and  swept 
off  chiefly  the  upper  part  of  the  dwelling.  Then,  too,  this 
building   was    outside   of   the    main    current   of   the    storm. 

Somewhat  south  of  the  southern  line  of  the  storm,  we  find 
the  Parker  place.  This  had  stood  the  storms  of  a  hundred 
years,  and  is  said  to  have  welcomed  Washington  within  its 
walls.  It  was  well  shaken  up,  but  perhaps  its  patriotic 
history  kept  it  on  its  foundations  ;  in  front  of  it  a  huge  elm, 
perhaps  seventy  years  old,  lay  across  the  road. 

All  the  barns  in  this  section  were  torn  to  pieces,  and  no 
one  can  find  out  where  the  wind  put  ths  pieces.  One  man 
went  eastward  to  find  his  cow,  and  met  her  coming  back 
uninjured.  He  does  not  know  which  left  his  premises  first, 
his  cow  or  his  barn. 


28  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLTNGFORD    DISASTER. 

There  were  several  cases  in  which  all,  or  nearly  all,  the 
clothing  was  torn  from  the  person.  One  man  when  found 
had  nothing  on  except  his  shoes  and  a  collar.  Facts  like 
these  prove  the  rotary  motion  of  the  storm.  One  gentleman 
found  several  vases  not  injured  in  the  least,  while  bedsteadS) 
tables,  chairs,  and  stoves  were  completely  destroyed  with  the 
houses. 

In  the  house  occupied  by  Michael  Caten  and  Patrick 
Lenahan  and  their  families,  there  were  nine  persons  at  the 
moment  of  the  cyclone,  and  though  the  house  was  utterly 
demolished,  no  one  was  seriously  hurt  except  Mrs.  Caten. 
Mrs.  Lenahan  was  thrown  or  blown  a  distance  of  six  hundred 
or  seven  hundred  feet,  and  yet  was  not  fatally  injured. 

Pat.  Cline  found  himself  rushing  through  the  air  and 
lodging  in  a  tree  ;  he  looked  back  in  no  little  wonder  and 
terror,  and  saw  flying  toward  him  in  the  air  a  cow.  She 
appeared  to  him,  doubtless,  like  a  dragon  from  the  pit,  but 
while  he  looked,  she  suddenly  disappeared  into  a  cellar,  where 
she  was  found  with  broken  horns  ;  she  was  the  property  of 
James  Ryan,  and  was  probably  carried  through  the  air  a 
distance  of  several  hundred  feet. 

Mrs.  Patrick  O'Neil  was  thrown  several  hundred  feet,  and 
though  badly  bruised  and  sadly  bereaved  of  two  young  and 
promising  sons,  has  kept  up  wonderful  heart  and  courage. 

Mrs.  Caten  had  a  wonderful  escape.  She  was  thrown 
some  distance,  and  covered  with  the  ruins  of  a  house  ;  only 
her  feet  could  be  seen,  and  it  took  the  united  strength  of 
perhaps  thirty  men  to  raise  the  timbers  enough  to  release 
her.     She  was  severely  but  not  fatally  injured. 

Daniel  O'Reilly  had  a  narrow  escape.  He  was  on  the  lake 
in  a  boat,  and  seeing  trouble  brewing  in  the  black  clouds, 
made  with  all  speed  for  the  eastern  shore.  He  had  nearly 
reached  the  shore  when  he  plunged  forward  into  the  water 
and  was  thrown  on  shore.  He  clung  fast  to  the  earth  and 
then  tried  to  rise,  but  no  human  being  could  stand  before  the 
gale.  The  water  drenched  him,  and  the  sand  and  pebbles 
beat  upon  him  and  through  the  clothing  left  deep  impressions 
in  his  body.  His  boat  with  others  was  cast  upon  the  shore 
many  feet  beyond  its  edge. 


THE    DESTRUCTION    ON    THE    "PLAINS."  29 

One  man  had  gone  into  the  upper  story  to  close  a  window 
just  as  the  storm  struck  his  home;  the  house  was  turned  on 
its  side,  and  as  he  looked  up,  he  saw  the  roof  go  up  into  the 
sky,  and  looking  again,  saw  all  the  fur/iiture  moving  out  of 
the  open  top  of  the  house  and  his  boy  going  with  it.  In  less 
time  than  it  takes  to  tell  it,  he  found  himself,  with  bruises 
and  broken  ribs,  lying  in  a  heap  of  rubbish,  and  looking  up 
into  a  tree,  saw  his  boy  among  the  branches,  when  the  follow- 
ing dialogue  is  said  to  have  occurred : 

"  Henry,  are  you  hurt  ? " 

"No,  father.     What's  the  matter?" 

"  Och,  thin,  I'm  badly  hurt." 

"  Ah,  father,  if  you'd  only  come  with  me,  you'd  been  safe 
enough  ! " 

One  of  the  wounded  women,  upon  being  asked  how  it 
seemed,  replied  :  "  I  did  not  know  whether  to  laugh  or  to 
cry  ;  the  pigs  were  whirling  round  in  the  air,  cows  were 
flying  as  if  they  had  wings,  and  doors  and  furniture  went  by 
us  and  over  us  like  lightning!" 

It  certainly  must  have  been  a  unique  sight,  but  in  such 
terrible  moments  all  thoughts  were  terribly  serious. 

'What  did  you  think  it  was  .''"  said  I.  "What  could  we 
think,  but  the  end  of  the  world  !"  said  one  w6man  ;  while  an- 
other answered,  "We  thought  it  was  the  day  of  judgment." 
These  two  answers  exactly  express  what  was  thought. 

This  destruction,  so  sudden,  so  complete,  so  fearful  in 
every  respect,  coming  truly  like  a  "thief  in  the  night,"  seemed 
to  them  as  it  would  have  seemed  to  us — the  agony  and  pas- 
sion of  earth's  last  hour. 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE   CYCLONE'S    WORK   ON   THE   HILL   AND  TOWARDS  THE 
EAST.— DESCRIPTIONS. 

LET  US  pass  now  from  the  Plains  to  the  hill.  Here  also 
we  find  large  and  interested  throngs  ;  here,  too,  are 
special  police  patrolling,  and  ready  for  any  trouble  which  may 
occur.  On  the  hill,  the  ruin  is  not  so  complete  as  on  the 
level  land.  The  cyclone  was  not  lacking  in  force,  for  it  pros- 
trated strong  and  deep-rooted  elms,  but  it  lifted  itself  from 
the  surface  as  it  ascended  the  higher  ground,  and  took,  in 
most  instances,  the  upper  portions  of  the  buildings.  Since 
early  dawn,  sturdy  farmers  with  stout  cattle  have  been  busy 
removing  from  the  roads  the  fallen  trees  which  blocked  the 
ways.  Some  of  these  lusty  limbs  and  giant  trunks  have 
required  all  the  power  of  many  pairs  of  cattle  to  drag  them 
from  the  road  into  the  road-side.  In  some  places  it  was 
absolutely  necessary  to  mak-e  a  passage  through  the  fields,  so 
completely  were  the  roads  blockaded.  The  meadows  and 
orchards  southwest  of  J.  R.  Campbell's  house  became  of 
necessity  a  public  highway  for  several  days. 

Upper  Main  street  is  the  pleasantest  street  in  town,  graced 
on  either  side  by  branching  elms  and  peaceful  homes.  Many 
of  the  residences  here  are  expensive  and  finely  furnished  ; 
here  also  is  our  Beach  school-house.  This  stately  brick 
building  seems  to  be  a  heap  of  ruins  ;  both  upper  stories  are 
gone,  and  a  part  of  the  second  story  is  torn  away.  This  was 
a  beautiful  structure,  and  far  the  most  prominent  building  in 
town.     It  was  built  in  1870,  and  cost  about  ^35,000. 

It  may  seem  strange  that  a  westerly  storm  destroyed  more 
of  the  eastern  portion  of  the  building  than  of  the  western. 
People  living  in  this  vicinity  did  not  hear  the  falling  of  the 
building,  and  knew  nothing  of  its  wreck  until,  looking  out, 
they  saw  the  result.     Portions  of  its  heavy  roof  were  thrown 


THE    DESTRUCTION    ON    THE    "HILL  3 1 

against  Elijah  Williams's  house,  across  the  road,  doing  serious 
damage.  Some  of  the  heavy  iron  grailin  was  picked  up  many 
rods  east  of  the  building,  and  having  been  broken  up,  the 
pieces  were  sold  as  relics,  and  the  money,  ^1375,  was  given 
for  the  relief  of  Maggie  Lynch,  who  survived  till  the  31st  of 
August. 

Let  us  trace  the  condition  of  the  residences,  going  up  Main 
street.  North  of  the  school-building  is  the  new  dwelling  of 
Mrs.  Fanny  Ives.  The  entire  top  is  gone,  and  the  building 
is  moved  from  its  foundation.  The  next  injured  house 
belonged  to  William  M.  Hall.  The  top  was  gone  and  the 
inside  seriously  injured.  His  attic  was  stripped  of  some  fine 
old  furniture,  and  a  number  of  trunks,  filled  with  clothing 
and  other  valuables,  had  gone  literally  "to  the  winds" — at 
least  they  could  not  be  found.  When  the  tornado  occurred 
Mr.  Hall  was  returning  from  his  barn  ;  in  a  moment  he  found 
himself  in  the  street,  but  how  he  came  there  he  does  not 
know.  Mr.  Hall's  barn  was  blown  to  pieces,  but  his  horse, 
being  in  a  kind  of  basement,  was  saved. 

John  Munson  lived  in  the  next  house  ;  he  was  looking  out 
of  his  west  window :  he  saw  the  air  thick  with  sand  and 
flying  fragments  and  turning,  grasped  the  door-casing.  The 
next  moment  he  was  in  the  cellar,  while  the  house  was  hurled 
forward  into  the  street ;  the  upper  story  was  gone,  and  what 
remained  was  a  complete  ruin.  Mrs.  Munson,  Mrs.  Lsadore 
Munson,  Miss  Sarah  Fields,  and  the  hired  girl,  were  confined 
under  the  timbers  ;  by  cutting  and  prying  they  were  removed 
and  found  to  be  uninjured,  save  by  bruises.  Their  escape 
from  death  seems  wonderful. 

Hermann  Vasseur's  house  was  shattered  and  taken  from 
its  foundation.  A  part  of  the  roof  was  removed,  and  the 
inside  suffered  severe  damage.  Mr.  Vasseur's  horse  escaped 
permanent  injury  although  the  barn  was  destroyed. 

Samuel  Peck's  loss  was  not  serious. 

On  the  east  side  is  the  unique  residence  of  Elijah  Williams. 
It  is  now  shattered  and  disfigured.  We  notice  in  its  side  a 
great  breach  where  some  timber  must  have  come  crashing  in. 

Chauncey  Hough's  house  comes  next.     This  stalely  man- 


32  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

sion  looks  sadly  enough  roofless  and  torn,  surrounded  by 
prostrate  trees,  and  in  its  rear  the  ruins  of  a  large  barn.  Mr. 
Hough,  though  an  old  man,  takes  his  loss  like  a  philosopher, 
and  feels  thankful  for  life  spared  to  himself  and  his  family. 
In  the  attic  were  some  rare  and  valuable  paintings  belonging 
to  William  Yale  Beach  ;  they  are,  of  course,  ruined.  Some 
furniture  of  Mr.  Beach's  suffered  a  similar  fate.  Charley 
Munson,  Mr.  Hough's  grandson,  was  soon  at  the  barn,  and 
freed  the  horse  froi:i  the  ruins. 

Mrs.  Friend  Miller's  house  suffered  the  loss  of  its  roof,  and 
was  somewhat  injured  in  other  respects.  An  oaken  chair  in 
her  sitting-room  was  literally  torn  to  pieces,  while  nothing 
else  in  the  room  was  injured.  All  through  this  region,  on 
both  the  eastern  and  western  slopes  of  the  hill,  trees  of  all 
kinds,  both  shade  and  fruit,  were  torn  up  by  the  roots  or  had 
their  trunks  twisted  and  broken,  as  if  they  had  been  straws. 

Samuel  Parmelee's  fine  property  suffered  severely  ;  his  loss 
is  the  heaviest  of  any  individual's.  His  house  and  barns  on 
Main  street  were  unroofed  and  greatly  marred.  Of  his  three 
tenement-houses  on  Elm  street,  in  the  rear  of  his  home,  two 
are  totally  demolished,  while  the  third  will  need  some  exten- 
sive repairs.  Mr.  Parmelee  was  absent  in  Toronto,  Canada, 
and  his  son,  Charles  J.,  who  has  charge  of  the  farm,  was  in 
the  barn  when  it  fell ;  he  escaped,  and  running  to  the  house, 
tried  hard  to  hold  on  to  a  door-knob,  but  his  efforts  were 
useless,  and  he  was  hurled  by  the  storm  many  feet ;  he  was 
picked  up  severely  bruised  and  injured  in  his  leg,  shoulder, 
and  back.     Let  us  pass  now  to  Elm  st. 

Elm  street  was  very  properly  so  named.  Many  of  its 
giant  trees  were  set  out  years  ago  by  Capt  John  Atwater  ; 
some  were  set  out  later  by  other  hands.  Caleb  Atwater  says 
that  those  set  out  by  his  grandfather  are  about  one  hundred 
years  old  ;  one  of  these  elms,  fourteen  feet  in  circumference, 
and  rather  small  in  comparison  with  some  others,  was  over 
seventy  years.  This  was  determined  by  counting  the  rings 
of  growth,  as  it  lay  broken  across  the  road.  The  cyclone,  as 
it  swept  onward,  grasped  many  of  these  grand  old  trees 
which   had   stood   unmoved   the  blasts   of   scores  of  years. 


\  \i 


THE    DESTRUCTION    ON    THE    ''HILL.  33 

They  were  snapped  near  their  bases  as  if  they  had  been 
pipe-stems,  or  else  lay  full  length  prostrate  on  the  earth, 
tearing  up  with  their  roots  a  great  round  mass  of  clay  and 
stones.  These  giants  of  the  earth,  laid  in  a  moment  helpless 
upon  the  ground,  impress  us  with  the  fearful  power  of  the 
cyclone.  We  stand  in  their  presence  with  feehngs  of  awe 
and  astonishment. 

The  beautiful  residence  and  grounds  of  the  late  Roderick 
Curtis  show  some  results  of  the  storm ;  in  front  are  some  of 
the  prostrate  elms,  while  inside  the  yard,  trees  of  all  kinds 
are  twisted  and  torn  and  broken.  The  house  escaped  injury. 
West  of  this  lot,  the  orchard  of  Elijah  Beaumont  suffered 
the  loss  and  injury  of  many  trees. 

Mrs.  Geo.  P.  Munson  loses  the  top  of  her  house  ;  her  barn 
is  entirely  destroyed. 

Just  south  of  this  house  is  one  of  these  great  elms  broken 
off  near  its  roots  ;  this  tree  was  twenty  feet  ten  inches  in 
circumference  at  its  base. 

In  front  of  John  Ives's  house  is  another  immense  elm  torn 
up  by  the  roots.  The  north  end  and  roof  of  his  house  are 
somewhat  broken. 

George  H.  Joel  was  returning  home,  and  seeing  the  air 
filled  with  limbs  and  shingles,  tried  to  avoid  them,  but  was 
struck  by  a  limb  and  dashed  up  against  Mrs.  George  P. 
Munson's  fence,  having  been  thrown  a  distance  of  forty  feet 
or  more.  His  left  arm  was  broken,  and  his  right  leg  fearfully 
bruised.  His  son  George  had  a  very  narrow  escape.  The 
house  in  which  this  family  lived  was  peculiarly  injured.  The 
eastern  roof  is  gone,  while  the  western  remains  uninjured  ; 
portions  of  the  eastern  and  northern  sides  were  taken  out, 
while  the  other  sides  seem  untouched.  Mrs.  Joel,  with  her 
daughters,  was  in  the  house  at  the  time,  and  she  relates  a 
peculiar  experience.  It  seemed  to  them  like  an  earthquake 
as  well  as  a  hurricane. 

What  is  quite  peculiar  is  that  many  of  the  trees  in  this 
vicinity  fell  in  a  northerly  direction,  and  some  even  in   a 
westerly,  though  the  most  of  them  fell  toward  the  east. 
John  Atwater's  barn  on  its  western  side  is  unharmed,  while 

5 


34  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

its  eastern  roof  is  gone.  Mr.  Atwater  and  John  Hall  lose 
many  apple-trees. 

Going  eastward,  we  find  Parmelee's  woods  prostrate. 

Henry  Jones  loses  a  large  part  of  his  orchard,  and  also 
many  other  large  trees.  His  house  was  unroofed.  He  was 
in  the  barn  when  the  tornado  came.  Feeling  the  building 
swaying,  he  rushed  to  the  door,  which  stuck,  and  down  came 
the  barn  upon  him.  A  large  timber,  or  a  mass  of  timbers, 
in  falling,  pressed  down  upon  him  until  he  thought  his  back 
would  give  way,  when  the  pressure  came  to  a  stop.  For  a 
moment  he  thought  his  chances  were  very  slim.  Emerging 
from  the  ruins,  when  he  began  to  think,  he  was  surprised 
enough  to  behold  his  horse,  which  was  in  the  barn  when  it 
went  down,  walking  out  of  the  ruins,  unharmed,  to  meet  him. 
He  felt  disposed  to  shake  hands  with  the  animal  if  it  were 
possible. 

J.  R.  Campbell  suffered  the  loss  of  many  fine  apple-trees. 
His  dwelling-house  was  considerably  injured,  and  his  barn 
ruined. 

Hall  Brothers,  butchers,  lose  a  barn. 

Charles  L.  Paddock's  barn  was  a  total  wreck,  and  he  lost 
many  fine  fruit-trees. 

Injury  was  done  to  trees  belonging  to  John  Kennedy, 
Hezekiah  Hall,  Benjamin  Hall,  William  E.  Hall,  and  others. 

In  William  E.  Hall's  woods,  fine  large  beech,  white-oak, 
and  chestnut-trees,  lie  upon  the  earth  broken  and  shivered  ; 
one  can  plainly  see  the  manner  in  which  the  wind  twisted 
them  from  their  stumps.  They  lie  here  in  every  direction 
but  the  northwest.  In  one  place,  the  trees  lie  across  one 
another,  pointing  northeast  and  south.  The  storm  here  was 
too  high  to  do  much  injury  to  small  timber,  but  these  six 
acres  of  heavy  timber  suffered  injury  to  the  amount  of  about 
one  thousand  dollars.  The  tornado  then  moved  eastward, 
destroying  forty  trees  in  a  fine  orchard  of  Samuel  Hopson, 
and  then  left  us,  we  hope  never  to  return. 

There  are  many  injuries  to  property  which  we  have  pur- 
posely omitted  to  mention.  We  have  not  thought  it  worth 
while  to  chronicle  the  loss  of  chimneys  and  of  old  and  worth- 


THE    T3ESTRUCTION    ON    THE    "HILL.  35 

less  sheds  ;  what  would  to  their  losers  seem  a  great  loss,  when 
viewed  by  others  might  seem  quite  trivial.  The  loss  of 
property  east  of  the  Plains  was  great,  but  the  cyclone's  work 
of  death  was  confined  to  the  Plains.  It  is  quite  remarkable 
that  no  cows  or  horses  were  killed. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

SCENES  IN  AND  AT  THE  DEAD-HOUSE. 

PICTURE  to  yourself  a  plain  brick  building,  meanly 
built  and  poorly  furnished,  two  and  one-half  stories 
high,  fifty  and  one-half  feet  long,  and  thirty-eight  and  one- 
half  feet  wide ;  then  imagine  this  building  without  ornament 
or  beauty  of  any  kind,  placed  near  the  middle  of  a  large  and  bar- 
ren lot,  and  facing  on  the  east  a  sandy  road,  and  you  have  a 
correct  idea  of  our  school-house  on  the  Plains.  I  sometimes 
wonder  how  we  can  expect  or  hope  that  boys  and  girls  will 
be  likely  to  grow  up  into  healthful  and  earnest  and  pure  men 
and  women,  when  so  many  of  their  days  of  growth  and  devel- 
opment are  doomed  to  be  passed  in  places  entirely  destitute 
of  both  natural  and  artificial  grace  and  beauty.  Well,  there  are 
no  joyous,  happy  faces  here,  no  earnest  teachers  ;  this  is  now 
the  house  of  death,  and  yet  never  have  so  many  living  beings 
crowded  in  this  yard,  and  passed  into  this  dull  building.  All 
day  Saturday  this  strange  mass  of  visitors  surged  about  this 
morgue,  and  hither  and  thither,  and  to  and  fro,  came  and  went, 
seeing  strange  and  hideous  sights,  and  thinking  such  thoughts  as 
never  before  bewildered  their  minds.  This  building,  in  which 
lay  so  many  dead  bodies,  was  the  center  of  attraction  for  the 
great  number  that  came  to  look  upon  our  desolation.  Gray- 
headed  men  and  women,  young  men  and  girls,  and  mothers 
with  infants  in  their  arms,  pressed  forward,  eager  to  see  the 
sickening,  horrible  sight.  The  sight  of  death  even  in  its 
most  hideous  forms  has  a  strange  fascination. 

At  5  p.  M.,  on  Saturday,  Pat  McKenna  directed  the  building 
to  be  closed  against  the  public.  At  sunrise  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing many  had  come  to  see  and  to  hear,  and  they  were  permit- 
ted to  look  upon  the  ghastly  sight  of  the  dead.  At  7.30  a.  m., 
on  Sunday,  the  rooms  were  again  closed,  and  then  began  the 
work  of  preparing  the  dead  for  burial. 


THE    DEAD-HOUSE.  37 

At  the  request  of  B.  D.  Sutlief,  R.  H.  Atkinson,  Edward 
Allen,  Amos  Dickenson,  and  J.  H.  Dickerman  met  in  the 
building  for  this  necessary  but  repulsive  work.  Mrs.  William 
Fitzgerald,  Mrs.  Edward  Callahan,  Mrs.  Edward  Cahill,  Mrs. 
Timothy  Callahan,  and  Mrs.  Andrew  Hoban  spent  their  time 
and  strength  too  in  the  same  way  on  this  bright  sabbath — 
bright  in  truth  elsewhere  throughout  our  land,  but  here  death  ; 
without,  ruin,  and  in  many  houses  here  and  there,  the  home- 
less, hopeless,  and  dying. 

B.  D.  Sutlief  says  that  he  never  saw  such  a  scene. 

We  might  go  through  the  long  list,  telling  the  fatal  wounds 
and  particular  injuries  of  each  doomed  one,  but  my  heart 
forbids  the  recital  of  such  a  tale — so  needless.  Any  weak 
words  of  mine  wholly  fail  to  tell  what  only  those  know  who 
have  seen.  This  does  not  seem  the  work  of  death.  Ah  ! 
no  ;  some  demon  from  the  under-world  has  here  been  doing 
his  own  fiendish  will ! 

Twenty-four  bodies  were  in  the  north  room.  Broken  limbs 
and  disfigured  faces  were  too  common  to  require  special  men- 
tion. In  a  majority  of  cases  the  skull  was  broken,  usually  at 
the  back  or  side  ;  often  there  were  horrid  burns  and  fearful 
gashes.  Here  the  brain  was  oozing  out  and  there  the  vitals 
partly  gone.  Mr.  Sutlief  was  unable  in  any. way  to  arrange 
one  body,  that  of  Mrs.  Michael  Toohey,  so  completely  was  it 
broken  and  mangled ;  it  was  a  complete  mass  of  destruction, 
so  he  simply  wrapped  it  in  cloth  Her  head  just  hung  by 
the  skin.  It  is  believed  that  she  struck  the  telegraph  wires 
as  she  was  Hurled  across  the  railroad  track.  This  seems 
true,  not  only  from  the  fearful  and  peculiar  cuts  and  breaks 
in  the  body  and  limbs,  but  from  the  fact  that  telegraph  wire 
was  found  near  where  her  body  was  discovered.  As  soon  as 
the  bodies  were  prepared,  they  were  placed  in  coffins  and 
carried  into  the  south  room  ;  there  the  coffins  were  placed  in 
boxes.  Let  us  turn  now  from  this  spectacle  and  breathe 
once  more  the  outer  air  ;  this  building,  these  rooms,  with 
their  heavy  air,  and  stifling,  sickening  odors,  bid  us  linger 
here  no  longer. 

We  find  in  front  of  the  building  Very  Rev.  Era  Leo,  presi- 


38  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

dent  of  Alleghany  College.  At  1 1  o'clock  he  officiated  at 
the  celebration  of  Low  Mass,  being  in  reality  a  requiem  for 
the  dead  ;  after  this  he  preached  to  the  people.  The  attend- 
ance here  was  not  large,  perhaps  not  more  than  six  lumdred 
persons.  The  vast  crowds  were  at  the  ruined  district,  or 
driving  in  line  from  one  desolated  part  of  the  village  to 
another,  while  some  few  were  at  the  services  in  the  Protestant 
churches. 

Not  many  minutes  after  one,  the  work  of  preparing  the 
dead  was  finished.  The  funeral  services  had  been  appointed 
at  3  o'clock,  but  it  was  about  4  o'clock  when  the  work  of 
removing  the  corpses  began.  The  special  police  permitted 
none  to  enter  the  school-yard  except  the  relatives  of  the  dead 
and  those  whose  duty  called  them  thither. 

E.  M.  Judd  made  the  arrangement  for  the  burial.  Each 
box  had  been  numbered,  and  the  name  of  the  dead  person 
written  upon  it.  In  the  cemetery  the  same  thing  was  written 
upon  paper,  and  was  fastened  to  a  piece  of  wood  which  was 
placed  in  the  ground  at  the  head  of  the  grave  which  was  to 
receive  the  body.  Business-wagons  had  been  procured  of 
our  citizens  by  E.  M.  Judd  ;  indeed,  in  most  instances  they 
had  been  offered  by  their  owners,  and  in  each  of  these  hearses 
were  borne  the  remains  of  one  of  the  dead.  Mrs.  Huldie  and 
her  babe  lay  in  a  single  coffin.  Thus  the  twenty-two  wagons 
bore  twenty-three  dead  to  their  last  earthly  resting-place.  On 
each  box  was  a  green  wreath,  with  white  flowers  interwoven, 
while  on  the  first  box,  containing  the  coffined  form  of  John 
O'Neil,  was  a  floral  cross  from  the  Baptist  society. 

The  procession  moved  toward  the  church-yard  in  the  fol- 
lowing order : 

Constables. 

The  Very  Rev.  Fra  Leo. 

The  Rev.  Hugh  Mallon,  Pastor  of  Wallmgford  parish. 

The  Rev.  Father  Slocum  of  St.  Patrick's  church,  New  Haven. 

The  Rev.  Father  O'Connell  of    St.  Francis'  church,    Fair  Haven. 

Twenty-two  hearse-wagons,  with  their  dead. 

Bearers  following  each. 

Members  of  parish  and  citizens. 

The  police  opened  the  way  for  the  clergy  and  the  wagons 


THE    DEAD-HOUSE.  39 

bearing  the  dead  ;  the  rest  of  the  street  was  densely  packed 
with  a  moving  mass  surging  onward,  and  making  a  part  of 
the  great  procession.  From  the  dead-house  to  the  burial- 
ground  at  the  cemetery,  and  for  hundreds  of  feet,  especially 
to  the  east  of  the  churchyard,  many  thousands  were  thickly 
crowded,  "  Like  many  swarms  of  closely-thronging  bees." 


CHAPTER     VII. 

THE  GRAVES— THE  BURIAL— ADDRESS  OF  REV.  MR.  SLOCUM. 

EARLY  Sunday  morning  finds  Rev.  H.  Mallon  and  Pat- 
rick McKenna  in  the  Catholic  cemetery,  indicating  the 
location  of  the  various  graves  which  are  soon  to  be  dug  by 
hands  which  never  before  had  done  so  sad  a  task. 

What  a  strange  scene  !  Here  and  there  a  standing  tomb- 
stone serves  to  break  the  sad  monotony  of  complete  desolation. 
Granite  monuments  lie  broken  and  scattered,  headstones  lie 
fallen  and  shivered,  and  the  church  in  the  foreground  of  our 
picture  is  a  shapeless  mass  of  mingled  ruin.  But  surely 
these  men  dig  not  graves,  for  this  looks  larger  far  than  any 
grave  we  have  ever  seen.  Two  brothers,  sons  of  Patrick 
O'Neil,  will  sleep  side  by  side  in  this  one  grave,  and  yonder, 
in  a  single  tomb,  the  five  members  of  the  Mooney  family — 
mother  and  four  children — will  together  sleep  their  last  long 
sleep.  And  since  these  lines  were  written,  another  child  of 
this  same  family  sleeps  in  this  wide  grave. 

Mrs.  Boyle  and  her  son,  Thomas  Cassin,  will  be  hidden 
from  the  outer  world  by  the  same  covering  of  earth,  and  Mrs. 
Huldie,  with  her  infant  folded  to  her  heart  in  death  as  in  life, 
will  lie  low  beside  her  little  daughter  of  four. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huldie  four  children  had  been  graciously 
given  ;  two  of  these  had  been  taken  from  this  world,  and 
their  departure  served  to  strengthen  the  bond  of  tenderness 
and  love  for  the  two  that  remained.  This  fearful  blast  of 
Friday  evening  sweeps  away  his  home  and  despoils  him  of 
his  treasures.  Homeless,  wifeless,  childless,  can  we  wonder 
that  he  is  hopeless  ?  No  earthly  being  can  understand  any- 
thing of  his  pain  and  agony.  We  can  only  leave  him  in  the 
sacredness  of  silence. 

Conrad  Tracy  and  his  wife  and  their  son  Henry  will  sleep 
in  the  earth  separated  simply  by  the  wood  of  coffin  and  box 


THE    CEMETERY.  4 1 

which  enclose  the  remains  of  each.  Five  Tracy  children 
without  home  or  father  or  mother — what  will  life  bring  to 
them,  and  how  will  they  meet  its  storms  and  tempests  ? 

The  crowd,  in  their  excited  eagerness  to  see  everything 
connected  with  the  strange  and  sad  affair,  began  to  press 
forward  and  either  to  impede  the  work  or  else  to  cause  the  earth 
to  cave  into  the  graves  which  were  already  dug.  After  a  few 
earnest  words  from  Patrick  McKenna,  they  withdrew,  and 
were  easily  kept  back  by  the  police  present. 

'Tis  now  late  on  this  Sabbath  afternoon,  the  sun  is  hasten- 
ing to  complete  his  daily  journey,  when  a  thickening  cloud 
of  dust  moves  northward,  and  soon  the  tread  of  many  feet 
tells  of  the  approaching  throng  ;  above  all  din  and  noise  is 
heard  the  heavy,  solemn  death  chant.  They  come  in  sad 
procession,  and  enter  the  desolate  cemetery.  None  but  the 
dead  and  their  friends,  and  those  whose  duty  requires  their 
presence,  are  admitted  inside  the  burial-grounds.  The  vast, 
surging,  dense  throng,  numbered  by  tens  of  thousands,  are 
kept  back  by  the  militia,  uniformed  and  under  arms.  The 
hearse- wagons  containing  the  bodies  are  drawn  up  side  by 
side,  while  Rev.  Fra  Leo  conducts  the  service  in  Latin,  amid 
the  perfume  of  incense  from  swinging  censers.  Then,  step- 
ping upon  a  little  hillock  of  earth.  Rev.  Father  Slocum  of  New 
Haven,  preaches  the  sermon  : 

"  I  am  about  to  perform  the  saddest  task  ever  performed  by  any  priest 
in  the  diocese  of  Hartford,  and  not  only  in  that,  but  in  the  history  of 
the  State  of  Connecticut.  I  return  to  one  and  all,  in  behalf  of  Father 
Mallon,  thanks  for  the  kindness  they  have  shown  in  this  trying  hour. 
It  is  only  on  such  occasions  that  the  spirit  of  Christianity  seems  to  draw 
all  together,  and  I  must  say  that  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge  I  have 
never  seen  such  unanimity  of  action  i)y  churches  of  all  denominations. 
I  do  not  propose  to  make  any  extended  remarks  nor  any  sermon.  It  is 
not  the  place.  The  bodies  that  now  lie  cold  before  you  speak  to  you 
more  eloquently  than  man  can.  From  them  you  can  learn  two  things — 
the  uncertainty  of  human  existence,  and  the  power  of  the  Creator  over 
the  created.  But  a  few  hours  ago,  we  may  say,  these  people  were  happy 
in  yonder  valley,  with  the  prospect  of  a  long  life  before  them.  There 
was  the  father  with  his  family,  and  the  mother  pressing  the  infant  to  her 
breast,  thinking  when  the  boy  should  grow  to  be  a  man  to  comfort  them 
in  their  declining  years,  and  perhaps  close  their  eyes  in  death.  They 
6 


42  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

seemed  as  secure  as  man  could  make  them.  The  very  last  thing  in 
their  minds  was  the  thought  that  they  were  in  a  few  hours  to  be  hurled 
into  eternity.  But  God  so  willed  it.  On  this  quiet  and  happy  and 
prosperous  village  He  sent  as  sad  an  infliction  as  was  ever  known  in 
Connecticut.  It  teaches  no  matter  where  a  man's  lot  is  cast  he  must 
die, — whether  he  be  a  mariner  on  the  sea,  a  soldier  in  the  field,  the 
mechanic  at  his  bench,  or  the  rich  man  in  his  mansion.  The  shafts  of 
death  will  strike  one  as  well  as  another  when  least  expected.  To  make 
a  practical  application  of  this,  we  should  try  to  live  according  to  the 
precepts  of  the  divine  commands,  so  that  when  we  are  called  upon  to 
die  we  shall  go  without  fear,  but  with  a  conscience  prepared  for  His 
judgment.  The  disaster  also  teaches  us  that  God's  wrath  is  terrible, 
and  that  His  ways  are  inscrutable.  We  can  say  to  those  who  deny 
Nature's  God,  '  Come  here  and  see  these  corpses,  and  then  say  that  He 
is  not  a  terrible  God,  if  you  can.'  We  recognize  Thee,  and  pray  that 
our  fate  may  not  be  that  of  those  who  lie  here — at  least  without  time 
for  preparation.  I  am  not  here  to  preach  a  sermon  or  to  flatter  memo- 
ries. They  have  gone  to  a  higher  tribunal  than  man's,  and  are  beyond 
flattery.  But  there  is  this  consolation  to  friends  :  Our  faith,  which  is 
that  of  our  forefathers,  and  that  which  has  brought  us  through  many 
trials,  teaches  us  that  they  are  still  Hving.  They  are  with  the  com- 
munion of  saints,  and  can  pray  for  us  as  well  as  we  for  them,  if  prayer 
be  necessary  to  release  them  from  the  toils  and  trials  of  purgatory.  Job 
cried  aloud,  'The  Lord  giveth  and  taketh  away;  welcome  be  the  will  of 
the  Lord.'  So  say  we  this  day.  Tears  cannot  help  the  dead,  though  it 
is  natural  to  weep,  but  we  can  help  them  in  another  way — in  a  practical 
way,  as  the  scripture  tells  us.  Job  says,  '  Have  pity  on  me  my  friends, 
for  the  hand  of  God  has  touched  me.'  So  in  Maccabees  it  reads  :  '  It 
is  a  holy  and  wholesome  thought  to  pray  for  the  dead  that  they  may  be 
loosed  from  their  sins.'  Too  often  the  memory  is  buried  with  the  mortal 
remains  in  the  grave.  How  few  of  all  this  vast  throng  came  here  out. 
of  motives  of  Christianity  !  We  would  say  to  all,  remember  the  dead. 
When  you  kneel  down  to  pray,  pray  also  for  them,  that  no  spot  may  be 
on  their  souls,  and  that  God  may  relieve  them,  if  detained,  from  the 
purifying  fires  of  purgatory.  Pray  also  for  the  homeless  ones  and  those 
left  without  fathers  and  friends,  that  they  may  have  such  consolation  as 
He  alone  can  give.  Pray  for  them,  that  you  may  not  only  do  an  act  of 
charity  for  them,  but  may  have  kind  friends  behind  you  to  pray  for  you 
that  you  may  meet  in  the  glories  of  paradise." 

The  boxes  are  now  sprinkled  with  holy  water,  and  the 
various  hearse-wagons  are  driven,  by  direction  of  E.  M,  Judd, 
to  their  proper  places,  and  the  burial  is  soon  a  thing  of  the 
past. 

All  of  these  bodies  were  buried  in  the  same  cemetery,  but 


THE    CEMETERY.  43 

the  grave  of  Frederick  Littlewood  was  somewhat  apart  from 
the  others,  and  Rev.  J.  E.  Wildman  conducted  the  service  in 
his  case. 

Here  Death  has  gathered  to  himself  his  prey,  and  while 
sobs  and  tears  from  women  and  strong  men  tell  of  breaking 
hearts,  I  can  almost  hear  the  voice  of  Christ  saying  to  these 
troubled  souls,  "  Peace,  be  still." 


Since  this  chapter  was  written,  another  name  has  been 
added  to  this  death-roll. 

Richard  Taylor  died  in  the  New  Haven  Hospital  on  Satur- 
day, September  21,  1878. 

His  spine  received  severe  injury  from  the  cyclone,  and  in 
a  short  time  the  lower  limbs  and  lower  part  of  his  body 
became  paralyzed.  He  could  take  only  the  simplest  kind  of 
nourishment,  such  as  milk  and  beef  tea,  and,  during  the  last 
few  weeks  of  life,  while  death  was  slowly  and  surely  claiming 
his  victim,  he  lay  in  helpless  agony,  praying  for  death.  His 
healthy  and  robust  body  became  a  mere  skeleton. 

May  this  be  the  last  name  to  be  added  to  this  catalogue  of 

death. 

Richard  Taylor,  30  years.   .       , 

— Whole  number,  30. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

VISITORS— C.    D.    YALE'S     DESPATCH— SUNDAY'S     CROWDS- 
PRESIDENT  BISHOP'S  PLAN— WEDNESDAY'S  EXCURSION. 

WHEREVER  there  is  anything  to  be  seen,  there  will 
people  gather.  Why  this  is  a  fact  is  not  for  us  to 
explain  ;  but  we  all  know  and  have  felt  this  peculiar  attrac- 
tion. The  wind  with  its  strange  and  fatal  violence  had 
scarcely  done  its  work  on  that  sad  Friday  evening,  when 
strangers  began  to  appear  in  the  desolated  regions.  On  foot, 
in  teams,  by  rail,  they  found  access  into  the  village  and 
among  the  ruins.  All  through  the  hours  of  that  busy  night, 
new  and  strange  faces  flitted  here  and'  there,  peering 
among  the  ruined  houses  and  gazing  with  strange  and 
startled  looks  upon  the  once  happy  homes,  now  scattered 
into  countless  fragments.  On  the  morrow,  many  who  had 
scarcely  credited  the  rumors  came  to  see  and  to  confess  the 
inadequacy  of  any  description  to  portray  the  spectacle  of  ruin 
and  desolation  which  met  their  gaze. 

In  the  forenoon  of  Saturday  the  depot  was  not  much 
crowded,  since  those  who  arrived  hurried  quickly  to  see  the 
ruins  ;  but  in  the  afternoon,  and  especially  in  the  evening, 
the  depot  within  and  without  was  closely  crowded  with  human 
beings,  and  throngs  were  on  and  about  the  track,  ready  to 
return  to  their  homes.  The  police  did  a  very  valuable  service 
in  clearing  the  tracks  just  before  the  arrival  of  trains,  else 
accident  must  have  resulted.  The  rush  for  tickets  was 
unprecedented,  and  both  of  the  ticket-windows  were  blocked 
by  two  living  masses,  eager  for  tickets.  Most  of  the  tickets 
were  for  short  distances,  yet  the  sales  at  this  station  on  Fri- 
day night  and  during  Saturday  exceeded^/oo.  Mr.  Edmonds 
was  unaided  in  the  work  of  selling  tickets,  and  on  Sunday 
the  balls  of  his  feet  were  swollen  and  sore,  and  he  was  unable 
to  stand  without  suffering  pain  from  them. 


VISITORS.  45 

In  New  Haven  and  Meriden  the  excitement  was  intense, 
and  continued  so  for  several  days. 

In  the  cars,  not  only  were  the  aisles  crowded,  but  outside 
the  platforms  and  steps  were  filled  by  many  feet,  and  some 
were  clinging  by  the  railings.  Of  the  conduct  and  bearing 
of  our  friends  from  other  towns  we  have  to  say  only  words 
of  praise.  People  in  crowds  often  seem  to  lose  something  of 
the  human,  and  to  gain  something  of  the  brute  ;  but  quietly, 
orderly,  and  manly  was  the  way  in  which  they  bore  them- 
selves. Surely,  what  they  saw  would  have  been  amply  suffi- 
cint  to  sober  and  to  restrain  any  being  not  wholly  given  over 
to  evil  ;  and  the  influence  of  the  gentler  sex  was  valuable. 
The  majority  of  the  strangers  during  these  days  were  women, 
somewhat  justifying  the  world-wide  belief  in  their  curiosity. 
On  Monday,  the  crowds  continued  still  to  come,  but  not  so 
many  in  numbers  as  on  Saturday.  Tuesday  saw  less  of 
strangers,  but  it  was  only  a  respite  before  the  greater  num- 
bers of  the  next  day. 

It  was  rumored  on  Saturday  that  special  trains  would  be 
run  on  Sunday.  It  was  a  bad  omen  ;  and  on  Saturday  after- 
noon the  following  despatch  was  sent : 

To  Vice-President  Reed : 

Please  allow  no  trains  to  stop  here  to-morrow. 

C.  D.  YALE,    Warden. 

SUNDAY. 

No  trains  ran  on  the  Consolidated  road,  but  on  the  Air- 
Line  railroad  there  was  a  special  train  from  New  Haven  to 
East  Hampton,  to  carry  passengers  to  the  dedication  of  a 
Catholic  church.  When  the  train  stopped  here,  a  number, 
perhaps  two  hundred  and  fifty,  remained  and  came  into  the 
village  to  see  the  effects  of  the  tornado  and  to  attend  the 
funeral. 

Before  sunrise,  teams  began  to  hasten  toward  the  village, 
and  the  tread  of  hoofs  and  clatter  of  wheels  continued  to 
increase ;  every  avenue  of  approach  to  our  town  seemed 
threaded   for   many   miles    with  a  moving,  endless  throng. 


46  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

Every  town  within  a  radius  of  twenty-five  miles  must  have 
sent  numerous  representatives.  Vehicles  of  every  kind, 
quality,  and  size  were  made  to  do  service.  Stages  and  large 
wagons  came  full  to  the  brim,  and  a  long  and  scattered  line 
was  to  be  seen  walking  on  the  railroad  track  from  New  Haven, 
and  also  from  Meriden.  The  stables  could  not  accommo- 
date any  great  number  of  the  horses  ;  but  yet,  in  their  yards 
and  barns,  every  foot  of  standing-room  was  occupied,  and 
many  soap- and  starch-boxes  served  as  mangers.  Private 
barns  and  barnyards  became,  of  necessity,  public  property  for 
the  time  being,  and  vacant  lots  were  in  many  instances  occu- 
pied by  teams.  The  streets  were  filled  with  a  line  of  vehicles 
going  each  way,  and  the  police  were  constantly  busy  in  keep- 
ing this  crowd  in  motion.  The  public-houses  were  soon 
over-crowded,  and  several  groceries  were  very  properly  opened, 
but  crackers  and  cheese  and  herrings  were  soon  exhausted. 
We  were  not  prepared  for  so  many  visitors.  Many  took  din- 
ner in  barns,  and  many  returned  home  faint  from  hunger. 
The  dust  and  heat  and  intense  excitement  of  this  day  are  at 
length  over,  and  as  the  shades  of  evening  close  around  us, 
peace  and  quiet  clothe  us  as  with  a  mantle. 

WEDNESDAY. 

Perhaps  "  corporations  have  no  souls  ; "  but  William  D. 
Bishop,  president  of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford 
Railroad  has  an  excellent  substitute  for  a  heart.  When, 
without  any  solicitation  or  expectation  on  our  part,  he  stated 
that  on  Wednesday,  August  14th,  tickets  to  Wallingford  would 
be  sold  from  every  station  on  the  road,  and  that  the  entire 
gross  receipts  would  be  given  for  the  relief  of  the  sufferers, 
we  all  commended  his  wise  and  generous  plan.  The  railroad 
company  had  by  means  of  printed  bills  advertised  their  plan, 
and  the  result  was  success.  The  company  were  astonished 
at  the  crowds,  but  yet  were  prepared  for  them.  The  tickets 
were  good  on  any  train,  but  regular  trains  with  extra  cars 
were  not  sufficient ;  extra  trains  were  put  on,  and  these  were 
heavily  loaded,  inside  and  out. 

We  take  the  following  from  the  New  Haven  yoiirnal  ajid 
Courier  oi  Thursday,  August  15th: 


VISITORS.  47 

"  The  rush  to  Wallingford  yesterday  was  something  without  prece- 
dent in  the  history  of  railroading  in  this  State,  and  the  throngs  in  the 
depot  and  on  the  platform  at  train  time,  the  crowds  at  the  ticket-office 
windows,  the  hurrying  to  the  cars  and  the  great  length  of  trains,  made 
the  scene  striking  and  memorable.  Besides  the  regular  trains,  several 
large  specials  were  run,  three  of  them  of  fourteen  cars  and  one  of 
twenty-one  cars,  which  either  immediately  preceded  or  directly  followed 
the  regular  trains.  All  the  regular  trains  were  also  very  large.  Yesterday 
was  the  day  for  half  fare  to  Wallingford  from  all  points  on  the  New 
York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad,  the  entire  gross  proceeds  to  go 
for  the  benefit  of  the  sufferers.  Several  hundred  people  at  least  came 
up  the  Nev/  York  road  from  points  below  this  city,  a  large  number  of 
them  from  Bridgeport,  and  three  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
tickets  were  sold  at  the  ticket-office  in  this  city.  The  fare  from  this 
city  to  Wallingford  and  return  was  thirty-five  cents,  making  the  hand- 
some sum  of  one  thousand  three  hundred  and  twelve  dollars  and  fifty 
cents  from  this  city  alone  for  the  sufferers.  This  fine  contribution  in 
itself  will  be  very  largely  increased  by  the  receipts  at  Hartford  and 
Meriden,  and  minor  stations.  The  branch  road  from  Middletown  did 
one  of  the  largest  day's  work  ever  known  upon  it.  Meriden  sent  down, 
it  was  estimated,  over  two  thousand  people,  and  a  large  number  of 
Hartford  people  came  down.  New  Haven  gentlemen  stood  near  the 
ticket-office  in  this  city  witnessing  the  sale  of  tickets.  We  venture  to 
say  that  tickets  were  never  sold  more  rapidly  and  in  better  form  any- 
where. When  the  twenty-one-car  special  stood  on  the  track  at  the 
depot,  various  gentlemen  stood  near  noting  the  rapidity  with  which  the 
tickets  were  passed  out.  The  large  number  of  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
tickets  were  sold  in  the  remarkably  short  time  of  eight  minutes,  and  at 
this  period  of  the  day,  one  thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty  tickets  were 
sold  in  forty  minutes.  Ticket  Agent  States  presided  at  one  window 
and  Mrs.  States  at  the  other.  Officer  Kennedy  was,  as  usual,  most 
indefatigable  and  of  great  service  in  affording  information  to  the  people, 
and  the  female  portion  of  the  throng  depended  solely  upon  him  at  times 
for  guidance  and  assistance  to  the  trains,  and  though  the  time  of  the 
officer  was  about  as  well  taken  up  as  could  be  imagined,  he  seemed  a 
match  for  every  and  all  emergencies,  no  matter  how  comjDlicated  by  the 
besieging  ticket-buyers.  The  vice-president  of  the  Consolidated  road 
directed  matters  in  person  throughout  the  entire  day,  a  sufficient  guar- 
antee of  the  most  successful  railroading  effort.  Conductors  Loomis, 
Brompton,  Kinney,  Pardee,  Ellsworth,  Curtiss,  Holcomb,  and  Hart 
were  in  service  on  the  trains,  the  three  first  named  being  the  regulars, 
and  there  being*two  conductors  to  some  of  the  trains,  owing  to  the  great 
number  of  tickets  to  be  taken.  Various  of  the  trains  were  drawn  by 
two  locomotives.  There  was  the  utmost  orderly  conduct  at  the  depot 
and  trains,  and  not  a  single  case  requiring  the  attention  of  the  police, 
and  among  the  great  body  of  people  transported   nothing  occurred   in 


48  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

the  slighest  degree  to  create  confusion  or  excitement.  On  the  branch 
to  the  depot  of  the  Fair  Haven  &  Westville  Horse  Railroad  there  were 
two  thousand  five  hundred  transfers  received,  representing  that  number 
of  cash  fares  received  on  other  portions  of  the  route  of  the  company, 
and  this,  with  the  number  of  cash  fares  received  on  the  branch,  made  a 
total  of  about  three  thousand  passengers  carried  over  the  branch  to  the 
depot.  The  supply  of  transfers  ran  out  during  the  day,  and  meeting 
the  exigency  the  president,  in  the  absence  of  the  secretary,  gone  on  his 
vacation,  had  a  new  supply  printed,  and  they  requiring  signatures, 
signed  his  name  to  four  hundred  inside  of  an  hour's  time." 

In  the  afternoon  the  crowds  about  our  depot  were  so  great 
that  to  avoid  any  trouble  the  cars  from  the  north  stopped  and 
left  their  passengers  before  reaching  the  depot,  and  near  the 
scene  of  ruin,  while  trains  from  the  south  left  and  received 
passengers  in  several  cases  before  coming  to  the  depot. 
Twenty  cars  drawn  by  two  engines  was  not  an  uncommon 
sight.  It  is  perfectly  marvelous  that  no  accidents  occurred  ; 
but  the  services  of  the  police  must  not  be  lost  sight  of  in  this 
connection.  The  order  and  behavior  during  these  days  may 
be  indicated  by  mentioning  that  only  three  persons  were  put 
in  the  lock-up  during  the  entire  time. 

After  Wednesday,  for  many  days,  visitors  came  and  still 
are  coming,  but  there  was  no  great  body  of  them,  and  they 
were  scarcely  noticed  after  what  we  had  already  seen.  The 
number  of  persons  present  can  never  be  known. 

The  following  letter  from  the  general  ticket  office  of  the 
New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad  Company,  is  in 
reply  to  a  question  of  mine  : 

Nkw  York,  August  24,  1878. 
John  B.  Kendrick,  Esq.  : 

Dear  Sir, — In  reply  to  yours  of  22d  inst.,  there  were  carried  to  Wal- 
lingford  by  this  Company,  August  loth,  3,827  passengers  ;  August  12th, 
3,074  passengers;  August  13th,  2,462  passengers  ;  August  14th,  7,974 
passengers.  Yours  truly, 

C.  T.  HEMPSTEAD,  G.  T.  A. 

In  the  rush,  hundreds  bought  no  tickets,  paying  on  the 
cars ;  while  many,  doubtless,  escaped  payment.  Adding  to 
the  numbers  given,  those  who  came  on  foot  and  by  teams,  a 
low  estimate  gives  for  August  lOth,  7,000;  August  12th, 
6,200;  August  13th,  5,000;  August  14th,  12,500. 


VISITORS.  49 

On  Sunday,  from  actual  count,  2,020  teams  passed  one 
point  on  Main  street  in  forty  minutes.  The  New  Haven 
Register  numbers  15,000  teams  and  five  persons  to  each 
team ;  then,  by  adding  to  this  number  2,000  persons  who 
came  on  foot,  the  number  77,000  is  made.  One  New  Haven 
paper  says  this  number  is  too  large  by  half.  This  will  give 
some  idea  how  the  immense  concourse  impressed  every  one. 
However,  I  do  not  think  we  had  more  than  22,000  with  us 
on  Sunday.  Many  took  home  with  them  some  rehc  of  the 
disaster ;  pieces  of  the  church  organ,  chair-rounds,  and  canes 
from  some  great  tree,  are  now  shown  in  many  homes  as  relics 
of  the  great  tornado.  One  paper  estimates  that  cords  of 
wood  were  thus  carried  off. 


CHAPTER     IX. 

POLICE— MILITIA— GOVERNOR  HUBBARD'S  VISIT— LIQUOR. 

RS.  AUSTIN,  our  constable,  was  promptly  on  hand. 
,  In  the  early  part  of  the  evening  he  was  on  upper 
Main  street,  and  at  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Simpson,  appointed 
several  persons  to  guard  the  exposed  property.  Later  in  the 
night,  he  rendered  service  at  the  school-house,  by  preventing 
any  excessive  crowding  of  the  building  by  sight-seers  and 
bereaved  friends.  The  desire,  so  common  and  yet  so  strange, 
to  see  the  ghastly  and  deathly  scene,  drew  mingled  crowds 
of  both  sexes  and  every  age,  and,  of  course,  some  order  was 
needful.  It  soon  began  to  be  felt  that  some  regularly  organ- 
ized force  was  necessary  to  protect  property  and  to  maintain 
peace  during  the  night  and  on  succeeding  days,  since  it  was 
absolutely  certain  that  many  thousands  of  strangers  would 
soon  be  in  our  town.  Selectman  R.  B.  Wallace,  who  had 
been  busy  on  the  Plains  during  the  earlier  part  of  the  evening, 
returned  to  the  town  hall,  and  promptly  at  nine  o'clock  ad- 
ministered the  oath  of  office  to  twenty-four  special  constables  ; 
of  this  number,  nine  were  detailed  for  duty  on  Main  street, 
while  the  remainder  were  stationed  at  various  points  on  the 
Plains. 

R.  B.  Wallace  appointed  as  chief  of  the  force  S.  M.  Scran- 
ton,  who  remained  in  charge  all  night,  and  was  assisted  by 
officer  Goodrich  of  Meriden. 

Patrick  McKenna  assumed  charge  of  the  force  on  the 
Plains,  and  his  services  in  this  connection  were  of  great 
value.  Additional  men  were  sworn  in  as  they  seemed  to 
be  needed.  Deputy-sheriff  Morgan  was  absent  from  town 
Friday  night,  but  upon  his  return  did  effective  service. 

On  Saturday  morning,  the  selectmen  appointed  as  chief  of 
the  force  Edward  Yale,  who  was  assisted  in  his  work  by 
George  Hull. 

On  Tuesday,  but  few  of  the  men  were  needed,  but  on  the 


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POLICE,    LIQUOR.  5  I 

following  day,  when  the  railroad  company  issued  excursion 
tickets  to  our  town,  about  one  hundred  were  on  duty.  The 
services  rendered  by  the  special  police  were  of  peculiar  value. 
They  were  useful  in  restraining  and  repressing  any  incipient 
troubles.  In  upper  Main  street,  at  the  street  corners,  near 
the  Plains  school-house,  at  the  depot,  and  elsewhere,  the 
young  man— for  the  majority  of  them  were  young  men — 
with  stout  cane  in  hand,  and  simple  word  "Police"  pinned 
upon  his  hatband,  did  no  mean  service. 

By  order  of  the  selectmen,  the  force  was  disbanded  at 
twelve  o'clock,  Wednesday  night,  but  a  few  remained  on 
duty  through  the  night  to  be  ready  for  any  emergency  which 
might  arise.  Many  are  the  names  of  those  who  seem  to 
well  merit  special  mention,  but  it  would  be  invidious  to 
name  only  some,  where  all  are  so  worthy.  At  first  a  round 
piece  of  red  flannel  was  the  badge,  but  later  the  word  *'  Police" 
on  satin  ribbon  took  its  place. 

The  drill  and  discipline  of  the  military  company  is  by  no 
means  lost,  though  its  members  never  fight  a  battle.  The 
ready  and  prompt  obedience  taught  in  this  way  is  valuable 
not  only  during  the  monotony  of  daily  life,  but  also  in  crises 
of  every  kind.  Hence,  naturally  enough,  we  thought  of  Com- 
pany K  as  our  police  force  ready  for  the  occasion.  Captain 
Wm.  N.  Mix  quietly,  but  firmly,  insisted  that  he  had  no  right 
to  call  out  his  company  ;  he  said  that  the  Governor,  and  he 
alone,  could  call  out  the  company.  A  telegram  was  sent  to 
Governor  Hubbard,  asking  him  to  call  out  our  local  militia, 
but  he  responded  by  asking  "  Why .'' "  and  said  he  would  be 
down  the  next  morning. 

Let  us  meet  the  Governor  at  the  train ;  it  can  do  him  no 
harm.  On  the  11.20  train  on  Saturday  morning  he  reaches 
here.  He  has  hurried  down  from  Hartford.  All  last  night 
there  were  rumors  in  that  city  of  a  strange  destruction  in 
this  growing  town,  and  while  on  his  way  to  see  this  sad  scene 
of  ruin,  he  has  read  and  listened  and  talked  on  this  subject, 
so  new,  so  startling,  so  awful.  As  he  comes  from  the  train. 
General  S.  R.  Smith  and  Selectman  R.  B.  Wallace  are  ready 
to  receive  him.     He  visits  the  ruins,  he  hears  of  the  dead 


52  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

and  the  dying ;  what  before  he  thought  exaggerated,  he  now 
knows  was  faintly  and  only  partially  told.  With  a  generous 
and  active  sympathy,  he  takes  from  his  private  purse  one 
hundred  dollars  and  gives  this  sum  to  our  warden,  Hon. 
C.  D.  Yale,  to  be  used  for  the  sufferers.  He  tells  R.  B. 
Wallace  that  he  has  a  kind  of  old-fashioned  notion  that  the 
militia  should  never  be  called  out  until  the  civil  power  has 
been  exhausted.  Then  he  goes  back  to  his  city,  though  with 
sadness,  yet  certainly  with  something  of  the  feeling,  "  It  is 
more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive."  In  this  case  the  chief 
magistrate  of  the  State  clearly  exemplified  one  of  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  our  government,  namely,  the  subordina- 
tion of  the  military  to  the  civil  power. 

The  great  majority  of  the  members  of  the  military  company 
were  sworn  in  as  special  constables,  and  were  certainly  the 
nucleus  of  the  "  police  force  "  thus  formed.  Captain  Wm.  N. 
Mix  directed  the  movements  of  these  men  during  a  portion  of 
Saturday  and  all  Saturday  night,  having  his  quarters  in  the 
armory,  and  also  during  Sunday.  On  Sunday  afternoon,  at 
two  o'clock,  the  company  met  at  their  armory,  and  in  full 
uniform  and  under  arms,  marched  to  the  Catholic  cemetery, 
where  they  formed  in  hollow  square  outside  the  line  of  graves. 
They  thus  kept  back  the  dense  and  curious  crowds  until  the 
burial  was  over,  then  they  marched  back  to  the  armory.  They 
were,  of  course,  subject  to  the  civil  authority.  This  action 
was  purely  voluntary,  but  none  the  less  effective,  and  all  the 
more  praiseworthy. 

Below  we  add  a  list  of  special  constables  ;  their  pay  was 
decided  upon  as  fifteen  cents  per  hour,  but  many  refused  pay. 

E.  C.  Allen,  George  E.  Bullock, 

Alfred  Atkinson,  Charles  E.  Blake, 

Albro  N.  Allen,  James  Brogden, 

J.  M.  Andrews,  H.  C.  Boutelle, 

H.  Atkinson,  John  Brosnan, 

Lyman  Allen,  W.  H.  Barbour, 

Richard  Atkinson,  C.  Blunt, 

C  S.  Allen,  James  Cassin, 

A.  J.  Andrews,  James  Cox, 

William  T.  Butler,  Charles  O.  Charter, 


POLICE,    LIQUOR. 


53 


Thomas  Cassin, 
R.  L.  Conklin, 
W.  Curtis, 
W.  Cook, 

George  Dickerman, 
William  Dickerson, 
John  Douglas, 
A.  S.  Dickinson, 
George  Dickinson, 
H.  W.  Davis, 
L.  L.  Edell, 
Willis  Edell, 
George  W.  Elton, 
W.  A.  Ferry, 
John  H.  Feeley, 
William  Fitzgeralds, 
J.  B.  Foster, 
T.  E.  Fitzgeralds, 
John  Fitzgeralds, 
W.  R.  Gilbert, 
Thomas  Galligan, 
James  Gaffney, 
A.  J.  Goodrich, 
J.  P.  Gibbons, 
Herbert  Ginty, 
Edward  Gaylord, 
Charles  Goodell, 
Moses  P.  Hall, 
Silas  L.  Hall, 
George  Hull, 
George  Hodgett, 
Frederic  Hull, 
J.  A.  Hall, 
Charles  Hull, 
C.,F.  Harwood, 
E.  C.  Hotchkiss, 
J.  W.  Hunt, 
Warren  Hart, 
W.  E.  Hall, 
Samuel  Hodgett, 
Frank  Ives, 
Arthur  A.  Jones, 
A.  J,  Jarrett, 
Thomas  Kavanaugh, 
Joseph  Kershaw, 


J.  B.  Kendrick, 
P.  H.  Keene, 
William  Looby,  Jr., 
J.  T.  Lezmore, 
W.  J.  Leavenworth, 
F.  L.  Lewis, 
John  Lombard, 
Edward  Leonard, 
W.  J.  Morse, 
Edward  Murray, 
Thomas  McKeon, 
R.  C.  Morse, 
H.  H.  Martin, 
H.  Mansfield,  Jr., 
L.  M.  Monroe, 
George  D.  Munson, 
Edward  McGuire, 
George  A.  Munson, 
William  Myers, 
Edward  Northrop, 
Stephen  Northrop, 
Lewis  Northrop, 
C.  O.  Norton, 
William  Norman, 
Terence  O'Reily, 
John  O'Reily, 
John  O'Connell, 
Martin  O'Connell, 
William  H.  Phillips, 
Michael  Percell, 
Frank  Phelps, 
W.  T.  Perkins, 
Thomas  Pickford, 
E.  H.  Pratt, 
O.  E.  Powers, 
W.  J.  Peers, 
William  Ryan, 
Andrew  Ryan, 
W.  J.  Rice, 
David  Ross, 
James  Reynolds, 
James  Roach, 
L.  G.  Seeley, 
S.  M.  Scranton, 
C.  E.  Smith, 


54  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

H.  C.  Smith,  Augustus  Tuttle, 

Samuel  G.  Simpson,  Allen  Washington, 

S.  J.  Stow,  W.  T.  Rynn, 

A.  A.  Sperry,  •  John  Rynn, 

J.  W.  Spencer,  George  W.  Woodhouse, 

George  Simpson,  W.  J.  Ward, 

A.  W.  Sperry,  S.  T.  Whitney, 

S.  S.  Tyler,  H.  O.  Winslow, 

Charles  Tooth,  Jr.,  James  Wheeler, 

H.  C.  Terrell,  F.  L.  Waples, 

Sterling  Tuttle,  William  Whitaker, 

Edward  Talmadge,  L.  Wheeler, 

W.  Talcott,  E.  C.  Yale, 

Charles  Tooth,  Sr.,  F.  Yale.— 138 

In  the  terror  and  excitement  of  the  disaster,  all  else  was 
forgotten,  but  in  a  few  hours  the  force  of  habit  began  to  show 
itself  even  then,  and  not  a  few  soon  found,  almost  by  intuition, 
the  shortest  path  to  the  nearest  saloon.  This  betokened 
disorder  and  danger.  About  10.30  Friday  evening,  Patrick 
McKenna,  going  to  the  saloons  which  were  open,  requested 
them  to  close,  and  this  request  was  promptly  heeded.  Mr. 
McKenna's  ready  and  sensible  action  all  through  these 
anxious  days  merits  praise. 

At  an  early  hour  Saturday  morning,  several  of  our  numer- 
ous bars  were  open  and  doing,  as  they  would  say,  a  thriving 
business.  Selectman  William  E.  Hall  went  to  the  different 
saloon-keepers  and  requested  that  no  liquor  be  sold  during 
the  day.  Such  bar-rooms  as  were  open  were  at  once  closed. 
It  required  constant  vigilance  on  the  part  of  officers  and 
other  citizens  to  enforce  this  request  during  the  rest  of  the 
day.  At  eleven  o'clock  the  warden  of  the  borough,  C.  D. 
Yale,  issued  a  peremptory  order  that  all  places  where  liquor 
was  sold  should  be  closed  forthwith,  and  the  only  saloon 
found  open  at  that  time  was  closed  at  once.  At  one  o'clock, 
Patrick  Taylor,  Patrick  McKenna,  and  J.  B.  Kendrick  dis- 
covered that  entrance  to  several  of  the  saloons  was  being 
made  at  the  back  door.  The  two  latter  persons  appeared 
before  the  warden  and  disclosed  the  real  state  of  the  matter. 
In  a  few  earnest  words  they  urged  decisive  measures.  The 
subject  received  the  attention  of  the  officers,  and   Captain 


POLICE,    LTQUOR.  55 

William  N.  Mix  guaranteed  that  the  saloons  should  be 
entirely  closed  and  should  remain  so  during  the  night.  His 
efforts  in  this  direction  were  quite  successful.  I  did  not  see  a 
drunken  person  on  Saturday,  and  my  experience  is  the  same 
as  that  of  others.  This  evil,  or  rather  source  and  fountain  of 
countless  ills,  was  thus  firmly  and  promptly  met,  and  in  this 
way  much  difficulty  was  entirely  prevented. 


CHAPTER    X. 

HOSPITAL— MEETINGS— COMMITTEES     AND     THEIR     WORK- 
CONTRIBUTIONS. 

ON  Saturday,  the  day  succeeding  the  tornado,  two 
vacant  rooms  on  the  first  floor  of  the  town  hall  build- 
ing began  to  be  used  as  a  hospital.  The  hospital  had  a  life 
of  just  seven  days.  It  began  on  Saturday  and  on  another 
Saturday  its  last  two  patients  evacuated  the  building  and 
took  up  quarters  in  the  New  Haven  hospital.  At  first  it  was 
doubtless  a  necessity,  but  as  the  patients  became  improved, 
they  were  better  off  with  their  friends,  and  the  few  severe 
and  dangerous  cases  were  likely  to  receive  better  attention  in 
a  city  hospital.  Dr.  Banks  thinks  that  if  the  hospital  had 
continued  there  would  have  been  fatal  cases  of  hospital  gan- 
grene. From  the  very  first,  many  of  the  injured  were  cared 
for  by  relatives  and  neighbors,  so  that  the  number  of  patients 
was  at  no  time  large.  The  largest  number  there  at  any  one 
time  is  given  as  fourteen.  Thomas  Pickford  rendered  valu- 
able aid  in  hospital  affairs,  and  Capt.  M.  D.  Munson's  services 
were  wise  and  efficient. 

Saturday,  at  9  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  bell  was  rung, 
but  it  failed  to  call  many  to  the  town  hall,  as  they  were  too 
busy  or  too  excited  to  come ;  however,  the  selectmen's  room 
was  filled,  and  C.  D.  Yale,  warden  of  the  borough,  presided, 
and  W.  J.  Leavenworth  was  appointed  secretary.  Little  was 
said,  but  all  knew  and  felt  that  decisive  and  energetic  meas- 
ures were  justly  demanded  of  our  officers.  The  borough 
officers,  together  with  the  selectmen,  were  empowered  to 
take  such  action  as  they  deemed  best.  Hezekiah  Hall 
echoed  the  sentiment,  and  thought  of  all  when  he  said,  ''  Our 
officers  of  the  town  and  borough  need  no  instructions  ;  they 
were  elected  for  this  and  every  emergency  which  might  arise. 
Let  them  act,  and  no  one  will  hesitate  about  sustaining  them." 


COMMITTEES    AND    CONTRIBUTIONS.  57 

The  clergy  of  the  town  were  appointed  to  collect  funds.  All 
through  this  day  Mr.  Yale,  the  Borough  Warden,  was  at  his 
post,  directing  the  movements  of  the  workers  under  his 
charge,  sending  to  various  cities  for  aid,  and  in  general  act- 
ing with  promptness  and  efficiency. 

At  2  p.  M.  of  the  same  day,  a  meeting  of  ladies  and  gentle- 
men was  held  in  the  town  hall.  L.  M.  Hubbard  was 
appointed  chairman,  and  H.  L.  Hall,  secretary.  Rev.  J.  E. 
Wildman  stated  that  we  were  met  to  devise  measures  for 
relieving  the  suffering  and  needy.  The  result  of  the  meeting 
was  the  appointment  of  the  following  committees  : 

For  ascertaining  the  vaidons  needs  of  the  sufferers. — Mrs. 
M.  W.  Foote,  Mrs.  Robert  H.  Cowles,  Mrs.  C.  H.  Barbour, 
Eugene  H.  Pratt,  Rev.  J.  E.  Wildman. 

For  soliciting  articles  of  clothing,  etc. — Mrs.  Friend  C. 
Allen,  Mrs.  O.  I.  Martin,  Miss  Lilla  Atwater,  Miss  Mattie 
Judd,  Mrs.  Burdon. 

Committee  for  mcrses. — Mrs.  Albert  Hallenbeck,  Mrs.  J. 
C.  Mansfield,  Mrs.  Stanley  Botsford,  Thomas  Pickford,  M.  D. 
Munson. 

Several  times  during  the  meeting,  word  came  that  the 
injured  and  wounded  needed  prompt  attention,  so  urgent  was 
the  necessity. 

The  meeting  empowered  the  warden  to  telegraph  to  the 
neighboring  cities  for  aid.  The  following  call  for  aid  was 
sent  to  the  mayors  of  New  Haven,  Hartford,  Meriden,  Bridge- 
port, Norwich,  New  London,  Norwalk,  Stamford,  Middletown, 
and  New  Britain  : 

Wallingford,  August  loth. ' 
To  the  Mayor : 

A  tornado  has  rendered  a  large  number  of  our  people  destitute  and 
suffering.  Can  anything  be  done  in  your  churches  to-morrow  for  their 
relief  ? 

C.  D.  YALE,    Warden. 

Responses  were  received  from  the  Mayor  of  Waterbury, 
Mr.  Boughton  ;  G.  Williams,  acting  Mayor  of  New  London  ; 
H.  Wales  Lines,  Mayor  of  Meriden  ;  from  W.  &  B.  Douglas, 
for  Mayor  Douglas  of  Middletown,  and  Frank  Sumner,  for 


58  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

Mayor  Sumner  of  Hartford ;  Mayors  Douglas,  Sumner,  and 
Waller  of  New  London,  and  Shelton  of  New  Haven,  were 
out  of  town.  Mayor  Shelton  did  not  receive  his  dispatch 
until  too  late  to  take  action  on  Saturday.  The  Mayor  of 
Meriden  telegraphed  as  follows  : 

Meriden,  August  loth. 
Charles  D.  Yale,  Wallingford  : 

Public  meeting  already  called  at  town  hall  this  morning.     I  trust 
the  result  will  be  substantial  evidence  of  our  sympathy. 

H.  WALES   LINES,  Mayor. 

All  the  responses  promised  effort  and  aid. 

The  committees  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  appointed  at  this 
meeting  of  ours  worked  with  heart  and  will,  and  some  of 
them  devoted  many  hours  of  days  and  nights  to  their  work. 

Provisions  and  supplies  of  clothing  were  received  at  the 
town  hall  for  the  few  days  following,  and  were  dispensed 
from  there ;  afterward  the  basement  of  the  Congregational 
church  was  used  for  this  purpose. 

L.  M.  Hubbard  and  Rev.  J.  E.  Wildman  were  appointed  to 
attend  the  meeting  in  Meriden  in  the  evening,  and  to  state 
our  condition.  The  assembly  then  adjourned  to  meet  on 
Monday  evening  at  7.30. 

On  Monday  evening  the  town  hall  was  well  filled,  when 
L.  M.  Hubbard  took  the  chair.  The  secretary  being  absent, 
Andrew  Andrews  was  appointed  secretary /r^  tern,  on  motion 
of  Gurdon  W.  Hull.  A  report  of  the  condition  and  needs 
of  the  sufferers  was  made  by  J.  E.  Wildman.  Twenty-five 
families  are  in  a  condition  of  more  or  less  destitution,  the 
large  majority  being  stripped  of  every  earthly  possession,  and 
some  even  of  what  they  had  on  at  the  time,  besides  being 
severely  injured  in  various  ways.  One  girl,  just  returned 
from  work,  was  not  only  seriously  wounded  by  timbers  when 
hurled  from  the  house,  but  was  stripped  of  every  particle  of 
clothing,  including  a  pair  of  corsets. 

Rev.  J.  E.  Wildman  stated  that  the  committee  would  be  at 
the  town  hall  on  Tuesday  from  8  to  11  o'clock  a.  m.,  and  from 
3  to  5  p.  M.,  to  receive  and  to  distribute  clothing  to  the  needy 
and  destitute. 


COMMITTEES    AND    CONTRIBUTIONS.  59 

A  letter  from  Rev.  J.  H.  Beale  was  read,  stating  that 
^202.96  had  been  received  by  him  on  Saturday  as  the  result 
of  his  appeals,  and  had  been  placed  in  the  Dime  Savings 
Bank. 

It  was  voted  that  an  executive  committee  of  eleven  be 
appointed  to  take  charge  of  the  funds,  and  five  persons  were 
appointed  to  nominate  for  this  committee.  The  committee 
on  nominations  were  appointed  by  the  Chair  as  follows  : 
Rev.  J.  E.  Wildman,  M.  D.  Munson,  Dr.  B.  F.  Harrison, 
William  N.  Mix,  and  Hezekiah  Hall.  They  reported  the  fol- 
lowing names,  which  were  accepted  :  Samuel  Simpson,  L.  M. 
Hubbard,  Henry  L.  Hall,  Rev.  J.  E.  Wildman,  Dr.  B.  F. 
Harrison,  Morton  Judd,  Hezekiah  Hall,  Bennett  Jeralds, 
Rev.  Hugh  Mallon,  H.  S.  Hall,  John  Kendrick. 

W.  J.  Leavenworth,  William  N.  Mix,  and  Clarence  Brown 
were  appointed  a  committee  to  collect  money  from  teams 
passing  through  town. 

Harvey  S.  Hall  urged  the  appointment  of  persons  to  have 
charge  of  booths,  and  urged  that  our  families  should  send  in 
food,  so  that  the  entire  proceeds  might  go  to  the  relief  fund. 
This  was  a  wise  suggestion. 

The  following  were  appointed  a  committee  on  booths  and 
refreshments  :  Mrs.  James  Northrop,  Mrs.-  Emory  Morse, 
Mrs.  Horace  Austin,  Miss  Lilla  C.  Hall,  Messrs.  John  Upson, 
Henry  Wooding,  Harvey  S.  Hall,  William  Munson,  J.  M. 
Andrus,  Amos  Dickerson. 

The  booths  took  in  considerable  money  for  the  sufferers  ; 
indeed,  before  this  meeting  of  Monday  evening,  cakes  and 
other  refreshments  had  been  sold  at  the  school-house  grounds 
for  the  benefit  of  the  general  fund.  Ex-Mayor  H.  G.  Lewis 
of  New  Haven,  paid  ten  dollars  for  a  cup  of  coffee,  and  L. 
M.  Hubbard  two  dollars  for  a  like  refreshment. 

Samuel  Simpson  suggested  the  appointment  of  some  per- 
son to  write  a  history  of  this  disaster,  and  thought  it  desirable 
that  such  a  manuscript  be  deposited  in  the  town  vaults. 
John  B.  Kendrick  was  appointed,  on  motion  of  J.  C.  Mans- 
field. It  was  late,  and  after  remarks  by  several,  the  meeting 
adjourned. 


60  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

The  executive  committee  of  eleven  soon  began  its  work, 
and  it  was  no  longer  necessary  to  hold  mass  meetings. 

This  executive  committee,  together  with  the  selectmen  and 
borough  officers,  met  the  next  evening  in  L.  M.  Hubbard's 
office.  They  organized  by  appointing  Samuel  Simpson  presi- 
dent, W.  J.  Leavenworth  secretary,  and  Dr.  B.  F.  Harrison 
treasurer.  Hezekiah  Hall,  William  E.  Hall,  and  John  Ken- 
drick  were  appointed  a  sub-committee  to  supply  the  immedi- 
ate wants  of  the  needy  and  suffering.  This  sub-committee 
met  every  afternoon  from  four  to  six  at  Captain  Kendrick's 
office  to  hear  and  to  supply  wants.  Stoves,  bedsteads,  beds, 
chairs,  crockery,  clothing,  shoes,  food,  etc.,  were  supplied  by 
this  committee.  The  larger  committee  continued  to  hold 
their  meetings,  at  first  every  evening,  then  only  three  eve- 
nings each  week.  Their  work  was  to  consider  cases  of  loss, 
to  order  payment  of  moneys,  and  to  transact  business  of  like 
character. 

The  clergy  had  been  appointed  on  Saturday  morning  to 
receive  gifts  for  the  suffering,  and  acted  in  this  capacity. 
On  Sunday,  collectors,  with  suitable  badges  on  their  hats, 
were  busy  at  the  corners  and  crowded  places  seeking  and 
obtaining  money  to  be  used  for  the  needy  and  destitute.  On 
Monday  and  Wednesday,  many  of  our  citizens  became  col- 
lectors and  did  good  service.  At  the  citizens'  meeting  on 
Saturday  afternoon.  Rev.  J.  H.  Beale  stated  that  contributions 
for  the  sufferers  would  be  taken  up  on  Sunday  in  many  of  the 
Methodist  churches  of  our  State.  Throughout  the  State,  in 
many  churches  of  various  denominations,  offerings  were  made 
for  our  homeless  and  injured  ones.  Some  of  these  cities  and 
towns  nobly  came  to  our  assistance  in  this  time  of  sore 
distress  and  affliction.  Meriden  was  prompt  to  begin  the 
work  of  systematic  aid.  Her  prominent  citizens  held  an 
earnest  meeting  on  Saturday  evening.  Ex-mayor  Lewis  pre- 
sided. O.  B.  Arnold  and  John  S.  Butler  were  appointed  to 
select  soliciting  committees  for  each  ward.  L.  M.  Hubbard 
and  Rev.  J.  E.  Wildman  were  present  to  advise  and  also  to 
portray  our  terrible  condition  and  pressing  needs. 
.    A  number  of  prominent  men  of  New  Haven  met  in  the 


COMMITTEES    AND    CONTRIBUTIONS. 


6i 


Mayor's  office  on  Monday  evening  to  consider  plans  for 
aiding  us.  Mayor  Shelton  spoke  from  what  he  had  seen  of 
the  ruin,  and  urged  New  Haven  to  give  all  possible  aid. 
Mayor  Shelton  was  appointed  chairman,  and  Seth  T.  Seeley 
secretary.  Ex-mayor  H.  G.  Lewis  spoke  in  graphic  terms  of 
the  ruin  and  the  misery ;  he  urged  prompt  action  in  favor  of 
our  friends  in  need,  in  woe,  and  in  the  deepest  distress. 
Action  in  our  favor  was  taken  in  Hartford  also. 

The  treasurer,  B.  F.  Harrison,  M.  D.,  gives  me  the  following 
list  of  money  paid  into  the  fund  up  to  Sept.  29: 


Governor  R.  D.  Hubbard,  ^100.00 

Wallingford  Community,  100.00 

Stiles  Ilotchkiss,  Wolcott,  5.00 

Contributions,  7.95 

Morton  Judd,  100.00 

George  Whittelsey,  100.00 

Joseph  F.  Noyes,  10.00 

Richard  Talbot,  2.00 

E.  Whitworth,  5.00 

E.  May,  2.00 

Sarah  Carrington,  10.00 

Sarah  K.  Carrington,  5.00 

Park  St.  Cong.  Ch.,  Bridgeport,  24  00 

Fairfield  M.  E.  Ch  ,  Bridgeport,  18.30 
South  and   North   Cong.   Chs., 

Bridgeport,  72,28 

First  Baptist  Ch.,  Bridgeport,  14.00 
E.Wash.  Av.  Bap.  Ch.,  Bridgeport,  8.05 

Trinity  Epis.  Ch.,  Waterbury,  32.23 

William  Brown,  Waterbury,  5.00 

H.  B.  Bigelow  &  Co.,  N.  Haven,  100.00 

Wash.  Park  Ch.,  New  Haven,  19.00 

J.  N.  Harris,  New  London,  50.00 

New  Britain  churches,  73' 5© 

Mr.  Russell,  New  York  city,  20.00 

S.  E.  Merwin,  New  Haven,  50.00 

St.  John's  Epis.  Ch.,  Bridgeport,  71.00 

Willard  Hopkins,  Naugatuck,  25.00 

Conirib.  through  J.  H.  Beale,  202.96 
Contrib.  through  Mrs.  J.  H.  Beale,      .50 

"Cash,"  Waterbury,  2.00 

D.  C.  Sheehan,  10.00 

Jos.  A.  Sheffield,  New  Haven,  100.00 
N.  Y.,  N.  H.  &  H.  R.  R.  Co.,     3,854.23 

Collected  by  John  Mix,  6.01 

G.  M.  Wallace,  9.28 


Collected  by  G.  K.  Carrington, 

$25.61 

I).  W.  Ives, 

30.00 

"             Geo.  D.  Munson, 

1375 

"             S.  J.  Stow, 

2.71 

W.  B.  Watson, 

4-35 

C.  B.  Erwin,  New  Britain, 

100.00 

Collected  by  Wm.  H.  Munson, 

26.00 

Mrs.  William  Elton, 

5.00 

F.  B.  Bartholomew, 

3.00 

W.  L.  Larue. 

I.OO 

Frank  Northrop, 

1. 00 

William  TiUson,  Willimantic, 

10.00 

L.  Pomeroy, 

1 0.00 

James  M.  Torbert, 

2fe0 

Mrs.  F.  W.  Hubbard, 

5.00 

Mrs.  J.  E.  WildrAan, 

5.00 

Mrs.  0.  Cannon, 

2.80 

T.  Pickford^ 

I.OO 

F.  Ebert, 

I.OO 

"Cash,"  North  Haven, 

2.00 

Unknown, 

4.00 

Collections  of  G.  L  Mix, 

16.42 

Mrs.  D.M.  Stone,  Brooklyn,  N.Y 

.;  10.00 

Rev.  Mr.  Thorn,  New  Haven, 

5-00 

Episcopal  Church,  Middletown, 

90.45 

Mr.  Page,  Naugatuck, 

10.00 

Mr.  Cowles,  Farmington, 

5.00 

Cash, 

•SO 

Rufus  S.  Doolittle, 

10.00 

Young  people  S.  Bapt.  Ch.,  Hart. 

»  25  00 

St.  Mary's  Cath.  Ch.,  N.  London, 

100.00 

St.  James  Epis.  Ch.,  N.  London, 

5576 

First  Bapt.  Ch.,  New  London, 

34.00 

Second  Cong.  Ch.,  N.  London, 

51-50 

Second  Bapt.  Ch.,  N.  London, 

6.00 

Third  Bapt.  Ch  ,  N.  London, 

17.00 

62 


HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 


M.  E.  Church,  New  London, 

$12.00 

Methodist  Church,  Stamford, 

29.28 

St.  Andrew's  Ch.,  Stamford, 

2.00 

St.  John's  Church,  Stamford, 

12.00 

Praise  Meeting,  Guilford, 

74-34 

Sales  of  food  by  Jno.  Upson  and 

others. 

329.82 

Emily  Button, 

15.00 

Col.   H.  B.   Carrington,    Craw- 

fordsville,  Ind., 

10.00 

Willis  Warner,  Brooklyn,  N.Y., 

50.00 

St.  James  Epis.  Parish,  Westville 

8.50 

St.  Michael's  E.  Ch.,  Naugatuck 

,  22.00 

Grace  Church,  Long  Hill, 

14.30 

Christ  Epis.  Church,  Tashua, 

7.00 

Prof.  Yardley,  Middletown, 

1. 00 

B.  R.  Townsend, 

10.00 

Mrs.  King,  New  Haven, 

2.30 

Cong.  Sunday-sch.,  Voluntown, 

23-32 

First  Cong.  Ch.,  New  London, 

48.98 

Mrs.  E.  P.  Hotchkiss,  Plantsville 

,     1. 00 

"Cash," 

1.50 

Cong.  Ch.  and  citizens,  Middle- 

town, 

255-38 

Cash,  Bridgeport, 

2.50 

John  Upson, 

30.00 

Geo.  H.  Watrous,  New  Haven, 

25.00 

J.  E.  Nugent, 

100.00 

F.  Hubbard,  Durham, 

2.00 

Ch.  of  St.Augustine,  Bridgeport, 

83.00 

Methodist  Church,  Waterbury, 

28.00 

Elisha  Whittelsey, 

100  00 

Stranger,  Meriden, 

1. 00 

Father  Fagan,  Naugatuck, 

25.00 

Rev.  H.  Mallon,  from  Hartford, 

200.00 

City  of  New  Haven,  by  Mayor 

Wm.  R.  Shelton, 

152.99 

George  D.  Allen, 

2.00 

Nathan  Peck,  by  Samuel  Peck, 

New  Haven, 

20.00 

Henry  Farnam,  by  Samuel  Peck 

New  Haven, 

200.00 

$100. 

I. 

43' 

50- 

90. 

3- 

25' 

46. 

13' 

2,000. 

1,929. 

500. 

II. 


Hon.  C.  D.  Yale, 

First  Church,  Waterbury, 

Trinity  P.  E.  Ch.,  Bridgeport, 

Jno.  W.  Andrews,  Columbus,  O. 

Catholic  Church,  New  Britain, 

G.  Williams  and  son,  N.  London, 

Jos.  Parker  and  son,  N.  Haven, 

Baptist  Church,  Stamford, 

Collections  by  Geo.  D.  Munson, 

Citizens  of  New  Haven, 

Citizens  of  Meriden,  i 

Frances  J.  Curtis, 

1).  Camp,  contributions,  N.  Brit., 

H.  S.  White,  Middletown, 

Christ  Church,  Norwich, 

Park  Church,  Norwich, 

First  Cong.  Church,  Norwich, 

Trinity  Church,  Norwich, 

Taftville  Church,  Norwich, 

Cash,  Middlefield, 

E.  E.  Marvin,  Hartford, 

Cong.  Church,  Pequonnoc, 

Samuel  Simpson, 

First  Cong.  Ch.,  Lyme, 

Patrick  McKenna, 

Second  Cong.  Ch.,  Waterbury,      88 

"Contributions,"'  by  G.  H.  Woods, 
Hartford,  322. 

J.  R.  Davis,  Bridgeport,  i, 

Christ  Church,  Guilford,  23, 

Rev.  A.  N.  Lewis,  Westport,  13. 

Dime  Savings  Bank,  "Contribu- 
butions,"  692, 

Dime  Savings  Bank,  "  Contribu- 
tions," "Trade  Dollars,"  30, 

Wm.  Murry,  5, 

First  Cong.  Sunday  School,  9. 

P.  T.  Ives,  25. 

Mr.  Hugo,  collections,  sent  by 
Mayor  Wm.  R.  Shelton,  New 
Haven, 

Amount, 


45- 


SO 

J?i4,529.4i 


A  Waterbury  bank  has  on  deposit  more  than  ^500  to  be 
expended  under  the  special  direction  of  our  clergy,  so  that  it 
is  clearly  seen  that  more  than  ^15,000  in  money  have  been 
contributed  to  aid  us  in  this  fearful  calamity.  It  is  the  pur- 
pose of  the  committee,  when  they  close  their  labors,  to  pass 


COMMITTEES    AND    CONTRIBUTIONS.  63 

an  unexpended  balance  of  several  hundred  dollars  into  the 
hands  of  the  acting  clergy  of  our  village,  to  be  added  to  the 
contribution  from  Waterbury,  and  to  be  expended  during  the 
autumn  and  winter  chiefly  for  clothing. 

Besides  these  sums,  other  moneys  are  pledged  and  will 
soon  be  paid.  After  the  necessary  expenditures  for  burial 
and  for  immediate  necessities,  the  remainder,  except  a  small 
reserve  fund,  will  be  apportioned  to  the  losers  according  to 
their  loss  and  their  need. 

In  Yalesville,  a  large  supply  of  clothing  and  groceries  was 
given  and  distributed  among  the  sufferers. 

Captain  S.  P.  Crafts  of  Quinnipiac,  gives  five  thousand 
bricks. 

L.  Strauss  &  Son  of  New  York,  give  a  cask  of  crockery. 

The  Middlesex  Orphanage  offered  to  take  some  of  the 
children  without  charge,  but  other  disposition  was  made  of 
them. 

The  School  for  Nurses  in  New  Haven  makes  no  charge 
for  the  assistance  given. 

E.  H.  Ives  gives  ^loo  for  the  relief  of  John  Munson. 

Hezekiah  Hall  expended  from  his  private  purse,  $28.00  for 
the  relief  of  the  deserving  and  needy,  instead  of  adding  that 
amount  to  the  general  fund. 

The  workmen  of  the  Community,  forty-four  in  number, 
give  the  wages  of  one  day's  work  (and  A.  A.  Sperry  that  of 
two)  for  the  relief  of  the  Tracy  children.  This  gives  seventy- 
five  dollars. 

The  Hartford  Courant  gives  the  proceeds  from  the  sale  of 
five  hundred  copies. 

Numerous  other  offerings  of  materials,  etc.,  were  made. 
•  The  loss  is  estimated   at   $150,000,   and  falls   chiefly  on 
private  property. 

We  give  below  the  list  of  losses  as  estimated  by  the 
Committee  on  Losses.  The  value  of  the  property  is  given 
without  reference  to  mortgages,  but  the  amount  each  loser 
will  receive  depends  upon  his  real  loss,  varying  from  20  to  30 
per  cent,  on  the  loss. 

This  committee  is  Samuel  Simpson,  Hezekiah  Hall,  H. 
B.  Todd,  W.  J.  Leavenworth. 


64 


HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 


OWNER.  LOSS. 

James  Curran, $i,3So 


John  George  Crasser, 
Michael  Caten,      -     -     - 
John  Ginty,  ----- 

Patrick  O'Neil,      -     -     - 
Charles  Paden,       -     -     - 
Michael  Looby,     -     -     - 
Patrick  Coughhn,  -     -     - 
Barney  Cassidy,     -     -     - 
Wm.  Looby,  Jr.,     -     -     - 
John  Lynch,      -     -     -     - 

Matthew  Cassen's  heirs, 

Patrick  Cline,    -----     2,000 

Conrad  Tracy's  heirs,     -     -        900 
Mrs.  John  Lee,  -     -     -     -     -     1,400 

James  Lee,  ------     3,300 

-     1,800 


2,250 
1,800 
600 
900 
900 
900 
900 
900 
900 
900 
3,200 


Daniel  Toohy's  heirs,     -     - 
Dennis  Redmond,      -     -    - 
Mrs.  Hurley,     ----- 

John  Munson,  on  Plains,     - 
Henry  Jones,     ----- 

Mrs.  George  Munson,     -     - 
Mrs.  William  Gallagher,  -     - 
John  Ives,     ------ 

N.  C.  Hall,   ------ 

Mary  Cline,  ------ 

John  Redmond,      _     -     -     - 
Mrs.  A.  Wolcott,  -     -     -     - 

Public  Buildings,  _         _         _         . 

Trees, —  Fruit,  Shade,  and  Ornamental, 
Fences,         _-.-__ 
Wagons,  and  other  vehicles. 
Farming  and  Gardening  Implements,    - 


250 
600 
2,000 
1,350 
600 
600 

375 
600 
100 
100 
150 


.    OWNER.  LOSS 

James  Slowman,    -     -     -     -  $150 

Joel  Paddock,  -     -     -     -     -  1,125 

Samuel  Peck,    -----  300 

Hermann  Vasseur,     -     -     -  1,600 

Samuel  B.  Parmlee,    -     -     -  5,250 

John  Munson,  Main  street,  -  4,500 

William  M.  Hall,  -     -     -     -  1,350 

Chauncey  Hough,  -     -     -     -  1,200 

Mrs.  Friend  Miller,    -     -     -  1,350 

Mrs.  Fanny  Ives,  -     -     -     -  600 

Elijah  Williams,     -     -     -     -  550 

John  Lewis,  ------  150 

Thomas  Gallagher,     -     -     -  225 

J.  R.  Campbell,      -     -     -     -  350 

Thomas  Wrynn,    -     -     -     -  400 

Peter  Lee,    ------  225 

Philo.  Parker's  heirs,      -     -  200 

Mrs.  Ellen  Coffee,      -     -     -  150 

William  Hayden,  -     -     -     -  150 

Edward  Hayden,    -     -     -     -  100 

William  Cook,  -----  150 

Hall  Brothers,  butchers,      -  300 

John  Atwater,    -----  150 

E.  B.  Miller,      -----  2,000 

Maria  Cassin,    -----  800 

James  Rynn,     -----  100 

Mrs.  T.  O'Reily,    -     - 
Amount,     -     -     -     . 


Furniture  and  Household  Goods, 

Clothing,  Money,  Books,  Pictures,  Albums,  etc.,    -         -         - 

Amount,     -         -         -         -         -         -         -         --       $136,250 


200 

55,250 

$25,000 

25,000 

8,000 

1,500 

1,500 

10,000 

10,000 


Besides  the  destruction  of  the  Catholic  church  and  the  in- 
jury done  to  the  school-house,  thirty  houses  were  completely 
destroyed ;  fourteen  houses  were  severely  injured  ;  fifteen 
barns  were  destroyed,  and  a  number  were  seriously  damaged. 
Of  course,  the  real  loss  is  not  so  much  in  houses  and  in  barns 
as  in  homes  destroyed,  in  the  dearest  ties  rudely  broken,  and 
in  ghastly  death. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

RELICS— INCIDENTS. 

THIS  hurricane,  as  it  hastened  ocean  ward,  left  on  its 
way  many  messages  from  us,  telling  of  what  strange 
work  it  had  been  doing  here.  Shingles  and  pieces  of  timber 
and  boards  lay  strewn  in  field  and  wood  for  miles  eastward. 
Clothing  of  all  kinds  was  picked  up  here  and  there,  much  of 
it  uninjured  by  the  storm  which  had  carried  it.  Veils,  a  quilt, 
mat,  shirts,  pieces  of  printed  books,  receipts,  skirts,  and, 
indeed,  articles  of  every  kind  that  are  found  in  well-regulated 
families,  were  picked  up  miles  away.  Near  Hezekiah  Hall's, 
on  East  Farms,  a  trunk-cover  was  picked  up.  A  man  living 
three  miles  or  more  east  of  the  Plains  says  that  he  saw  a  blind 
high  in  the  air,  moving  eastward  with  lightning  rapidity. 
Willis  Stevens,  living  at  least  three  miles  east  of  the  churches, 
found  in  that  vicinity  a  geography  leaf  containing  a  descrip- 
tion of  hurricanes.  A  board  sixteen  feet  long,  was  carried 
from  some  house  here  and  dropped  into  the  house  of  Walter 
Hart,  in  Durham  ;  his  house  was  unroofed  just  in  time  to 
receive  this  relic.  A  long  roof-board  was  deposited  on  the 
premises  of  Henry  Page,  in  Durham.  A  piece  of  the  tin- 
roof  of  the  school-house  was  picked  up  in  Haddam,  twelve 
miles  away.  The  most  remarkable  case  of  this  kind  of 
travel  is  the  journey  of  a  piece  of  paper  owned  by  Patrick 
Cline. 

On  Saturday  morning,  R.  G.  Hazard,  2d,  of  Peacedale, 
R.  I.,  while  walking  in  a  retired  path  near  his  home,  picked 
up  a  receipt,  of  which  we  give  a  copy  : 

[Copy.] 

Wallingford,  Nov.  24,  ''^6. 
Received  from  Mr.  P.  Cline  ten  dollars  00-100  in  full  of  Account. 

James  McClarnan. 


66  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

He  saw,  as  soon  as  he  reached  his  office,  an  account  of  our 
tornado,  published  in  the  Providence  Journal,  of  which  he 
is  a  correspondent,  and  read  the  name  of  John  Cline  among 
the  injured.  He  sent  the  receipt  to  the  yoiLrnal,  which  pub- 
lished a  copy  of  it,  together  with  an  account  of  its  discovery. 
Mr.  Hazard,  writing  to  the  yournal,  says  : 

"  Immediately  after  deciphering  the  paper,  my  eye  fell  upon  the  head- 
ing in  this  morning's  Joitr-nal :  'A  Tornado  in  Wallingford,  Conn.,'  and 
on  reading  over  the  account  I  found  the  name  of  John  Cline  among  the 
list  of  injured.  The  town  clerk  of  this  town  happening  in  soon  after, 
was  asked  whether  any  such  names  were  famihar  to  him  as  belonging  to 
any  residents  of  this  town.  He  rephed  that  he  knew  of  no  such  names 
in  this  vicinity.  Wallingford  is  about  sixty-five  miles,  as  the  crow  flies, 
from  Peacedale,  and  is  due  west  of  this  village.  Whether  this  bit  of 
torn  and  wet  paper  was  carried  on  the  wings  of  the  storm  for  that  dis- 
tance, and  finally  deposited  where  it  was  found,  or  whether  it  came 
there  by  other  means,  it  seems  probable  that  the  hurricane  invaded  the 
premises  of  Mr.  P.  Cline  and  abstracted  the  document  from  his  file,  for 
what  purpose  I  will  leave  you  to  conjecture.  If  Mr.  Cline  will  claim  his 
paper  I  will  return  it  to  him  with  pleasure,  hoping,  however,  not  to  send 
it  '  by  the  same  hand. 


1  f) 


Judge  O.  I.  Martin,  of  this  town,  upon  seeing  the  published 
article,  wrote  as  follows  : 

"  Having  read  a  copy  of  a  receipt  in  your  paper,  signed  by  James 
McClarnan,  in  full  of  account  of  Patrick  Cline,  I  will  now  tell  you  that  I 
am  well  acquainted  with  both  James  McClarnan  and  Patrick  Cline. 
They  both  belong  in  Wallingford.  Patrick  Cline's  new  house  was  blown 
to  the  four  winds  of  heaven,  with  all  his  furniture,  with  three  feather 
beds  and  all  the  clothing  for  four  children,  and  trunks,  etc.  The  timbers 
of  the  house  even  cannot  be  found,  nor  anything  else.  There  was  fifty 
dollars  in  money  in  one  drawer  where  the  receipt  was.  If  the  finder  of 
the  receipt  should  find  the  fifty  dollars  near  there,  it  would  be  very 
acceptable  to  the  family." 

Upon  receipt  of  this  letter,  the  yournal  made  an  appeal  to 
its  readers  to  send  in  contributions,  so  that  the  lost  fifty  dol- 
lars could  be  replaced.  The  appeal  was  not  without  effect, 
and  in  a  few  days  Judge  Martin  received  a  graceful  note 
from  the  editor,  enclosing  the  receipt,  and  a  check,  to  keep  it 
company,  for  fifty-five  dollars  for  the  benefit  of  Patrick  Cline. 
The  original  receipt  will  be  kept  in  the  Historical  Rooms  at 


RELICS,    INCIDENTS.  6^ 

Providence,  R.  I.    The  moral  seems  to  be :  Keep  your  receipts  ; 
but  if  you  don't  keep  them,  send  them  to  Rhode  Island. 

The  following  is  from  the  Wallingford  Forum : 

The  saddest  scene  witnessed  by  the  Forum  reporter, 
Friday  night,  was  in  the  little  brown  building  on  Colony 
street,  where  the  Tracy  family  were  taken  early  in  the  even- 
ing. On  the  floor  near  the  door  lay  Mrs.  Conrad  Tracy, 
horribly  mangled,  but  still  alive.  Moaning  with  pain,  on  a 
lounge  near  by,  lay  a  1 6-year-old  daughter  badly  injured, 
suffering  excruciating  pains  from  many  hurts,  while  on  the 
floor  near  by  were  three  small  children,  badly  hurt,  crying 
and  moaning  in  their  agonies,  and  Father  Mallon  was  trying 
to  administer  comfort  to  the  afflicted  family.  The  rain  was 
pouring  in  torrents,  and  the  lightning  was  fitfully  flashing 
outside.  At  one  bright  flash  and  roar  of  thunder  Mrs.  Tracy 
faintly  asked  Father  Mallon,  "  Is  the  hurricane  coming 
again  ? "  Father  Mallon  assured  her  that  God  had  visited 
his  children  severely,  but  that  no  more  need  be  feared  that 
night.  All  this  while  one  of  the  little  girls  was  crying, 
"  Where  is  papa — when  will  he  come  .'* "  The  poor  father  at 
the  time  was  lying  dead  just  outside  of  the  same  house.  It 
was  a  scene  long  to  be  remembered. 

A  singular  incident,  noticeable  in  the  track"  of  any  whirl- 
wind, is  that  the  feathers  are  plucked  from  the  chickens, 
and  in  several  instances  the  fowl  are  not  killed.  This  is 
due  to  the  fact  that  there  is  much  difference  in  the  specific 
gravity  of  fowl  and  feather,  and  that  in  such  a  sudden  gust, 
the  lighter  body — the  feathers — start  on  their  trip  with  the 
whirlwind  before  the  chicken  has  time  to  start.  This  theory 
has  been  worked  out  by  scientific  men,  who  have  proved  it  to 
be  correct  by  loading  a  fowl  in  a  cannon,  with  a  light  charge 
of  powder.  When  the  cannon  was  exploded  the  feathers 
were  blown  entirely  off  the  fowl. 

Professor  Brewer  has  carried  home  as  relics  some  turtle 
eggs,  which  the  tornado  had  thrown  out  of  the  sandbank, 
alongside  of  the  Community  pond,  where  they  had  been 
deposited  by  some  turtle  for  hatching  purposes. 

On  the  evening  of  the  cyclone,  Rev.  J.  E.  Wildman  picked 


6S  HISTORY    OF   THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

up  a  case  containing  two  gold  watches  belonging  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  John  Munson.  These  watches  were  uninjured,  though 
in  the  breaking  up  of  the  house  they  had  been  thrown  into 
the  middle  of  the  road,  a  distance  of  many  feet. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  in  the  last  legislature  Mr. 
Charles  D.  Yale,  now  warden  of  the  borough  of  Wallingford, 
made  a  strong  effort  to  secure  State  aid  for  the  sufferers  in 
the  town  of  Stafford  Springs,  from  the  breaking  away  of  the 
Staffordville  dam.  He  spoke  very  feelingly  on  the  subject, 
and  warmly  commended  the  measure,  little  expecting  at  the 
time  that  his  own  town  would  be  the  one  that  would  suffer 
next  from  the  fury  of  the  elements. 

The  freaks  of  the  cyclone  were,  many  of  them,  curious 
enough,  and  we  have  stated  nothing  except  what  is  capable 
of  abundant  and  complete  proof.  It  requires  some  credulity 
to  accept  the  account  of  the  man  who  says  that  as  he  was 
riding  along  he  was  thrown  from  his  buggy,  while  his  horse, 
besides  suffering  other  misfortunes,  had  the  iron  shoes  torn 
from  his  feet ! 

Although  every  one  who  lived  in  the  destroyed  district  has 
been  found  either  dead  or  alive,  yet  one  woman  thoroughly 
believes  that  some  bodies  will  yet  be  found  which  have  been 
carried,  as  she  thinks,  many  miles  away. 

There  were  some  grimly  humorous  effects  amidst  all  the 
sad  havoc  of  the  disaster,  as  for  instance,  to  see  still  prominent 
on  the  ruined  school-house  the  words,  **  Notice,"  that  any 
injury  to  the  building,  whether  from  malice  or  negligence, 
would  be  punished  by  fine  or  imprisonment ;  and  again,  to 
see  "  Insured  in  the  Hartford  "  on  a  little  brass  plate  over  the 
door  of  a  nearly  demolished  dwelling. 

A  goat,  tied  to  a  long  rope,  was  raised  high  in  the  air,  and 
looked  like  a  great  kite.  As  soon  as  the  cyclone  passed  by, 
he  came  to  the  ground  at  once,  and  without  even  a  look  of 
surprise  bent  his  head  to  the  earth  and  went  on  with  his  reg- 
ular work  of  eating  grass. 

The  following  is  too  good  to  be  lost :  A  good  orthodox 
deacon  from  a  neighboring  village  visited  the  scene  of  the 
disaster  the  day  after  it  occurred.     Seeing  a  poor,  forlorn, 


RELICS,    INCIDENTS.  69 

helpless,  bandaged  victim  sitting  on  the  heap  of  kindling- 
wood  which  but  the  day  before  had  been  his  home,  the  deacon 
said  :  "  My  poor  fellow,  how  do  you  account  for  the  fact  that 
none  but  Catholics  were  killed  yesterday  ?  "  Without  hesi- 
tation, Pat  replied  :  "  Sure  and  it's  aisy  enough  accountin'  for 
that  ;  the  Catholics  are  ready  to  die  any  minute,  but  your 
folks  ain't  good  enough  to  go  suddint  like." 


CHAPTER    XII. 

THE  CYCLONE— DESCRIPTION  AS  GIVEN  BY  EYE-WITNESSES 
—STATEMENT  OF  PROF.  WILLIAM  H.  BREWER— THEORY 
OF  THE  STORM. 

THE  rise  of  the  storm  was  seen  by  different  persons  in 
various  parts  of  the  town.  G.  N.  Miller  of  the  Com- 
munity, while  sitting  upon  the  veranda,  saw  the  huge  black 
cloud  moving  from  the  north,  and  while  watching  it  as  it 
demolished  their  windmill,  had  his  attention  quickly  called  to 
the  lake,  where  another  mass  of  cloud  of  inky  blackness, 
moving  from  the  southwest,  met  the  northern  clouds  ;  here 
they  seemed  to  poise  themselves,  seething  and  roaring  and 
forming  a  waterspout,  funnel-shaped,  and  with  the  smaller 
end  in  the  water.  This  waterspout  was  not  straight,  but 
bent  and  twisted  in  various  directions,  not  for  a  moment 
remaining  in  the  same  form.  The  body  of  this  mass  was 
densely  black,  while  the  top  was  lurid  and  even  white. 

J.  H.  Frost  was  in  Main  street  near  Mr.  Simpson's,  on 
his  way  home.  He  was  especially  alarmed  by  the  forked 
lightning  which  seemed  to  make  directly  for  him  as  it  darted 
forward. 

Samuel  Peck  and  Hermann  Vasseur  give  good  descriptions 
of  the  storm. 

Selectman  William  E.  Hall  was  at  his  home  on  the  east 
farms,  and  saw  the  progress  of  the  cyclone.  He  says  nobody 
can  ever  describe  how  it  looked. 

One  of  the  best  accounts  of  the  tornado  that  has  been 
given  is  that  told  by  Elbridge  Doolittle,  a  bright,  intelligent 
boy  of  about  fourteen,  living  on  Center  street,  about  midway 
between  the  Plains  and  Main  street.  He  happened  to 
be  sitting  at  a  rear  window  in  the  second  story  of  the  house, 
and  had  his  head  out,  watching  the  chain  lightning  which 


DESCRIPTION    AND    THEORY    OF    THE    STORM.  /I 

was  playing  about  the  Baptist  church.     His  story  in  his  own 
words  will  best  give  an  idea  of  what  he  saw  : 

"  I  saw  the  lightning  flashing,  and  then  heard  a  queer 
noise,  and  turned  around  and  looked  over  to  the  lake,  in 
which  direction  there  was  a  rumbling  and  rolling  noise. 
There  was  a  crash,  and  then  something  shot  up  into  the  sky 
that  looked  like  a  cloud  of  smoke,  and  was  so  thick  that  I 
couldn't  see  through  it.  There  was  an  awful  roar,  and  it 
came  along  about  five  rods,  and  then  there  were  pieces  of 
board  and  shingles  and  pieces  of  roof,  I  should  think  that 
were  about  so  big  [measuring  off  a  place  about  five  feet 
square].  Those  I  suppose  came  from  Grasser's  shop.  The 
tornado,  or  whatever  you  call  it,  was  about  as  wide  as  a  house 
is  long,  and  kept  whirling  round  and  round,  being  a  good 
deal  bigger  at  the  top  than  at  the  bottom.  It  swept  along 
awfully  fast  and  tapered  down  at  the  bottom,  like  a  balloon, 
with  a  long  tail  stringing  under  it,  out  of  which  a  stream  of 
water  kept  running,  just  like  it  would  out  of  a  tunnel.  The 
tail  kept  swinging  and  whipping  around  like  a  snake.  After 
it  got  well  started  the  boards  began  to  get  thicker  in  it,  and 
it  struck  something  else,  and  things  were  hfted  right  up  into 
the  air  and  came  scudding  along  until  it  reached  the  Catholic 
church,  and  that  and  the  houses  on  the  Plains  went  over  just 
as  tall  grass  blows  down  when  a  stifi:'  wind  blows  across  it. 
The  buildings  didn't  weave  at  all,  but  went  right  over,  some 
going  up  into  the  air,  and  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  the  tail  had 
twisted  right  around  them  and  lifted  them  up.  When  it  got 
opposite  our  house  the  thing  was  terribly  black  and  thick, 
and  was  full  of  timbers,  which  kept  turning  end  over  end 
instead  of  spinning  around  like  a  top.  It  was  full  of  limbs 
of  trees,  too,  and  they  looked  like  big  kites  with  the  leaves 
at  the  top,  and  the  limbs  or  trunks  hanging  down  like  the  tail 
to  a  kite.  Every  little  while  the  stuff  in  the  air  would  drop 
and  another  building  would  be  picked  up  and  thrown  around. 
The  tail  kept  dragging  along  the  ground  and  all  moved  very 
rapidly,  there  being  no  stop  until  it  reached  the  school-house. 
Then  I  thought  it  stopped  for  a  second  or  two,  as  if  the  school- 
house  was  too  big  for  it,  but  it  went  up  into  the  air,  and  the 


72  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

tail  seemed  to  wind  around  the  school-house,  I  could  see  it 
so  plainly.  After  it  had  wound  around  the  school-house,  it 
started  again  with  an  awful  roar,  and  instead  of  blowing  over, 
it  lifted  the  top  of  the  school-house  right  up  into  the  air. 
Part  of  it  dropped  back  again  after  it  had  got  up  a  little  ways, 
but  the  biggest  part  seemed  to  start  on  with  the  tornado. 
After  it  left  the  school-house,  I  lost  sight  of  it.  I  should 
think  it  took  about  three  minutes  for  the  whole  thing  to  come 
from  the  lake  to  the  school-house." 

This  ended  his  story,  which  is  certainly  the  most  graphic 
description  of  the  affair  that  has  been  given. 

Those  who  saw  the  tornado  quite  generally  agree  in  regard- 
ing this  as  a  good  description. 

Rev.  R.  J.  Adams  says  that  the  scene  was  grand  beyond 
all  description. 

The  New  Haven  Register  oi  Tuesday,  August  13th,  says  : 

"  Professor  William  H.  Brewer,  of  the  Sheffield  Scientific  school, 
visited  the  scene  of  the  disaster  yesterday  for  the  purpose  of  making 
scientific  observations  of  the  work  of  the  whirlwind,  for  that  is  what 
it  was,  though  it  was  an  unusually  strong  and  severe  one.  The  term 
tornado,  applied  to  such  atmospheric  phenomena  being  the  Spanish 
word  signifying  to  turn.  There  is  no  good  theory  as  to  the  cause  of  the 
terrible  commotions  and  their  terrific  force,  and  it  is  not  possible  of 
explanation  how  there  can  be  such  a  wonderful  concentration  of  energy 
as  was  shown  in  Wallingford.  This  whirlwind  was  a  mass  of  air  and 
water,  of  funnel  shape,  with  the  broad  part  of  the  funnel  uppermost. 
The  greatest  force  in  this  moving  mass  is  just  at  the  point  of  this  fun- 
nel-shaped mass,  and  on  the  edges  of  the  broader  part,  the  center  or 
vortex  being  comparatively  calm.  This  funnel-shaped  whirlwind  passed 
up  the  embankment  by  the  pond  to  the  level  ground,  a  distance  of 
thirty-five  feet,  and  then  began  its  work  of  destruction,  its  path,  as  indi- 
cated by  the  fences,  trees,  etc.,  being  only  three  hundred  feet  in  width. 
As  it  moved  along  the  rising  ground  its  point  was  broken  off,  and  by  the 
time  it  had  reached  the  railroad  track  its  path  was  less  than  six  hundred 
feet  in  width.  It  increased  a  hundred  feet  in  width  when  it  reached 
Colony  street,  and  its  point  then  did  its  most  violent  work  across  the 
Plains,  but  the  width  here  cannot  be  ascertained.  As  it  struck  the  hill 
the  point  grew  shorter  and  shorter,  and  it  was  shaved  off,  as  it  were, 
nearly  up  to  the  funnel  proper,  for  the  width  at  Main  street  was  one 
thousand  three  hundred  feet.  Then  the  professor  thinks  it  became  split 
in  part,  and  lost  its  force,  in  great  part,  as  it  swept  down  a  very  wide 
path  across  Elm  street  and  to  the  mountain  beyond,  where  it  broke. 


DESCRIPTION    AND    THEORY    OF    THE    STORM.  73 

The  general  direction  of  the  whirlwind  was  east-southeast.  Points 
that  he  noted  to  prove  that  it  was  a  whirlwind  were  that  all  the  trees 
south  of  Christian  street  were  drawn  inward  towards  its  track,  while  the 
twisting  of  John  Simond's  house,  referred  to  in  the  Register  yesterday, 
proved  plainly  that  there  was  a  whirling  motion.  At  the  foot  of  the 
hill,  nearly  everything  thrown  down  was  thrown  toward  the  east.  The 
mud  spattered  on  the  houses  on  Main  and  Elm  streets  was  for  the  most 
part  on  the  east  and  south  sides,  though  there  were  spatters  on  the  north 
and  west  sides,  which  proves  the  rotary  motion  of  the  winds.  The  mud, 
by  the  way.  Professor  Brewer  thinks  did  not  all  come  from  the  pond,  but 
was  in  great  part  hcked  up  along  the  route  and  carried  over  on  the  hill. 
The  greater  mass  of  the  water  sucked  out  of  the  pond  was  dropped  on  the 
Plains,  proofs  of  this  fact  being  that  the  roots  of  trees  torn  from  the 
ground  down  there  were  washed  perfectly  clean,  while  the  roots  of  those 
on  the  hill  were  covered  with  dirt.  He  is  also  of  the  opinion  that  some 
of  the  houses  on  the  Plains  were  destroyed  by  the  mass  of  water  carried 
along  for  a  short  distance,  probably  no  further  than  the  base  of  the 
hill.  Professor  Brewer  goes  to  Wallingford  again  to-morrow,  and  will 
try  and  find  where  the  vortex  of  the  whirlwind  was,  and  settle  if  pos- 
sible whether  there  was  a  comparative  calm  in  the  vortex  of  the  whirl- 
wind. He  says  that  the  story  of  the  affair  as  told  by  the  boy  Elbridge 
Doolittle  is  a  perfectly  reliable  account  of  just  what  did  happen,  and 
just  how  the  whirlwind  acted." 

I  think  that  but  little  water  was  taken  from  the  lake.  It 
was  reported  that  dead  fish  from  the  lake  were  found  on  the 
Plains  and  hillside  ;  but  there  is  no  evidence,  so  far  as  I 
know,  that  such  was  the  fact ;  and  if  water  in  any  quantity 
had  been  taken  up  from  the  lake,  of  course  fish  would  have 
been  taken  with  it.  Roots  were  washed  clean  by  the  drench- 
ing fall  of  rain,  not  by  the  water  from  the  lake.  Roots  of 
trees  four  miles  from  the  lake  were  washed  in  exactly  the 
same  way.  The  trees  in  Elm  street  had  earth  clinging  to 
their  roots.  This  was  evidently  owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
earth  was  heavier  and  clayey,  and  also  because  the  roots 
were  protected  by  branches,  etc. 

After  a  careful  consideration  of  the  facts,  I  think  that  the 
storm  was  by  no  means  local,  but  that  our  cyclone  or  curve 
storm  was  simply  a  phase  or  peculiarity  of  a  vast  storm, 
moving  from  the  west,  rising  in  Canada  and  Northern  New 
York,  and  perhaps  even  farther  west,  and  meeting  a  storm 
from  the  southwest.  Some  damage  was  done  in  other  por- 
10 


74  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

tions  of  this  State,  both  east  and  west,  and  also  in  Rhode 
Island.  In  Massachusetts,  many  houses  were  injured,  trees 
broken,  and  crops  destroyed.  No  serious  damage  was  done 
in  Boston,  but  in  the  northern  section  of  the  State  the  losses 
were  considerable.  At  Woburn,  lightning  struck  the  railroad 
station,  instantly  killing  Josiah  Lathe,  station-master. 

At  Rye  Beach,  New  Hampshire,  acres  of  trees  were  blown 
down,  and  the  bath-houses  were  blown  into  the  sea.  These 
facts  show  clearly  that  a  general  storm  existed,  of  which  this 
cyclone  was  merely  one  phenomenon. 

It  is  now  a  well-understood  law  that  the  natural  direction 
of  all  bodies  when  acted  on  by  any  force  is  in  a  straight  line, 
but  when  the  moving  body  is  subjected  to  some  other  force 
which  at  every  instant  tends  to  move  it  in  some  other  direc- 
tion, then  the  body  moves  in  a  curve.  Thus  the  earth,  if 
it  moved  under  the  action  of  its  own  velocity  would  pass 
through  space  in  a  straight  line,  but  the  attraction  due  to  the 
sun  and  other  heavenly  bodies  causes  the  earth's  orbit  to  be 
a  curve.  Now  since  there  are  many  and  different  currents 
of  air  in  constant  activity  in  the  storm  regions  of  the  atmos- 
phere, I  think  it  possible  and  even  necessary  that  very  many 
of  our  storms  should  be  rotary  in  their  movements.  Perhaps, 
indeed,  all  storms  are  rotary,  and  at  the  same  time  pro- 
gressive. 

In  1 83 1,  William  C.  Redfield  of  New  York,  from  a  large 
mass  of  observations  demonstrated  that  there  is  a  law  of 
storms,  and  showed  that  storms  in  this  hemisphere  move  from 
east  to  west — that  is,  against  the  hands  of  a  watch.  Hence 
this  must  have  been  the  direction  of  the  curvature  of  our 
storm.  It  is  believed  that  these  grand  and  terrible  move- 
ments often  occur  in  the  upper  air  while  the  surface  of  the 
earth  escapes. 

One  writer  says  :  "  Our  coast  storms  are  all  fringes  of  high 
cyclones  which  rush  from  the  West  Indian  tropics  up  the 
Atlantic  shores,  and  across  the  ocean  to  die  on  the  coasts  of 
Europe." 

From  careful  observation  I  am  convinced  that  merely  the 
edges  of  the  two  local  storms  met  over  the  lake,  but  that  they 


DESCRIPTION    AND    THEORY    OF    THE    STORM  75 

came  together  with  their  full  volume  and  intensity  just  west 
of  the  railroad  track.  One  storm  came  from  the  north  by 
east  and  another  from  southwest.  The  direction  of  the  pro- 
gressive movement  of  the  cyclone  was  east-southeast,  indi- 
cating that  the  momentum  of  the  two  gales  was  nearly 
equal.  The  velocity  appears  to  have  been  from  sixty  to 
seventy-five  miles  per  hour.  The  rotary  nature  of  the  storm 
explains  why  trees  lie  in  different  directions,  just  as  when  a 
wagon  passes  through  a  muddy  road,  as  the  rim  of  the  wheel 
leaves  the  earth  mud  is  thrown  backward  while  the  opposite 
rim  is  throwing  the  mud  forward.  Where  trees  near  one 
another  lie  in  different  directions,  probably  the  curves  of  the 
storm  cut  one  another. 

As  one  evidence  of  the  curve  movement,  William  E.  Hall 
says  that  his  weather-vane  seemed  to  move  in  every  direction. 
It  seems  clear  that  the  longer  axis  of  the  curve  was  at  right 
angles  to  the  progressive  motion  of  the  cyclone.  Here  and 
there  were  offshoots  from  the  cyclone,  like  tangents  from 
a  curve.  These  would  take  a  tree  or  barn  perchance  and 
then  disappear,  either  losing  force  or  ascending.  This  the- 
ory explains  why  Samuel  Simpson  lost  his  chimney  and  a 
number  of  trees,  while  his  neighbors  were  unharmed  ;  it  also 
explains  why  a  large  tree  in  Academy  street  fell  toward  the 
northeast  while  no  injury  was  done  near  it  ;  it  also  explains 
why  Mrs.  Randall  Cooke's  barn  was  destroyed,  and  why 
Thomas  Galligan's  house  was  moved  from  its  foundation  and 
otherwise  injured.  Samuel  Hopson's  orchard  shows  most 
clearly  the  curve  of  the  cyclone — namely,  exactly  opposite  to 
the  hands  of  a  watch.  Owing  to  the  rotary  motion,  the.  frag- 
ments carried  eastward  generally  came  to  the  ground  outside 
the  main  path  of  the  storm.  The  storm  lifted  itself  as  it 
passed  up  the  hill,  hence  of  course  it  did  not  destroy  the 
houses  from  their  foundations,  except  in  a  few  instances,  where 
it  darted  down  upon  them. 

I  trust  that  additional  conclusions  may  be  given  by  abler 
writers.  The  report  of  the  signal  officer  sent  here  by  the 
government  will  doubtless  be  valuable. 


y^  HISTORY    OF    THE    WALLINGFORD    DISASTER. 

Brief  records  exist  of  other  tornadoes  in  Connecticut :  In 
June,  1682  ;  1728  or  '29  ;  August  20,  1787  ;  August  7, 

1739. 

In  only  one  (that  of  1787)  were  any  lives  lost,  and  those 
storms  were  gentle  zephyrs  compared  with  the  one  of 
August  9,  1878. 


